Erwin Tulfo files bill seeking lifetime validity for PWD IDs
At A Glance
- In filing Senate Bill No. 1405, the senator proposes to amend Republic Act No. 7277 or the Magna Carta for Persons with Disability, to ensure that the issuance of PWD IDs will be free of charge and shall be valid for the lifetime of the cardholder.
Senator Erwin Tulfo is now seeking passage of a bill that seeks lifetime validity for Persons with Disability (PWD) identification card holders.
In filing Senate Bill No. 1405, Tulfo proposes to amend Republic Act No. 7277 or the Magna Carta for Persons with Disability, to ensure that the issuance of PWD IDs will be free of charge and shall be valid for the lifetime of the cardholder.
“This is the plight of Filipino PWDs: once their ID expires, they need to line up again to get their requirements, and they need money for transport fares. They need to yet again allot time, energy, and resources just to renew their IDs, despite their disability. It is like adding insult to injury!” Tulfo lamented.
“Their PWD IDs are very important because they receive their benefits through that card. Giving expiry dates to their IDs is like depriving them of access to the benefits given to them by law,” added the chairman of the Senate Committee on Social Justice, Welfare, and Rural Development.
The law, he noted, provides several benefits and privileges, including a 20 percent discount on goods and services, equal opportunities for employment and education, among others.
Therefore, Tulfo said the government “should lighten the load of the PWDs who have long been suffering from their personal battles.”
“When enacted into law, (this would be) a small but meaningful step toward respecting PWDs’ rights, easing their burdens, and streamlining public service,” he said.