If Parañaque City 2nd district Rep. Brian Raymund Yamsuan would have his way, he would make it so that lifetime persons with disability (PWD) identification cards would be granted to Filipinos with permanent disabilities.

Yamsuan filed House Bill (HB) No.6306 for this purpose, and in a bid to complement the ongoing efforts of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and the National Council on Disability Affairs (NCDA) in rolling out a unified ID system for PWDs.

His proposal ensures that beneficiaries wouldn't have to go through burdensome renewal procedures, especially given their conditions.

“The renewal of PWD IDs for those with temporary or progressive conditions is reasonable, but for people with lifelong disabilities, especially those from low-income families, this process is unnecessary and only adds to their distress and inconvenience,” said Yamsuan in a statement Tuesday, Dec. 2.

“Let’s simplify and make the process easy for them by providing lifetime validity of their PWD IDs free of charge,” he added.

Incidentally, Wednesday, Dec. 3 marks the International Day of Persons With Disabilities in the Philippines.

Yamsuan said his proposed measure will help ensure continued access to the benefits provided under the law to legitimate PWD beneficiaries.

“This is an opportune time to pass [HB No.] 6306 and other similar measures pending in Congress as the government continues to streamline the management of PWD IDs and stop the fraudulent practice of selling these IDs to fake beneficiaries,” said the former Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) assistant secretary.

According to the latest available data from the Department of Health (DOH) and the NCDA, there are now about 2.8 million Filipinos who are registered as PWDs, or about 2.5 percent of the total population. This number is significantly lower that the World Health Organization (WHO)’s global estimate of around 16 percent.

“A UNICEF study suggests that this discrepancy could be due to the fact that many legitimate beneficiaries are discouraged by the challenges they encounter under the current system in applying for or renewing their IDs,” Yamsuan noted.

Yamsuan said unifying the management of the PWD ID system, along with the grant of lifetime valid IDs to permanently disabled persons, will reduce the administrative workload of the LGUs and enable them to reallocate efforts to identifying and registering unlisted yet legitimate PWDs.

This will also provide LGUs with more time and resources in checking and updating the status of temporary and progressive disability cases to eliminate those who no longer need PWD benefits.

The Yamsuan bill amends Section 32 of Republic Act (RA) No.7277 or the Magna Carta for Persons With Disability to include a provision stating that IDs “issued to persons with permanent disability shall be free of charge and shall be valid during the lifetime of the cardholder.”

Renewal by the beneficiary can be done in cases of loss or damage of his or her lifetime ID.

In the bill, such permanent disability should be certified by the municipal or city health office and verified by the Local Social Welfare Development Office (LSWDO) of the LGU.

The measure also proposes to include a provision under Section 4 of the Magna Carta defining “permanent disability” as a “physical, mental, intellectual or sensory impairment that (1) substantially limits one or more major bodily functions or activities of an individual; and (2) is medically determined to be irreversible, non-transitory, or otherwise expected to last for the lifetime of the individual, as certified by a licensed physician of the municipal or city health office and verified by the LSWDO".

Under existing rules, PWD ID cards have a fixed validity period, typically for five years. Upon its expiration, the applicant is required to again undergo medical certification, and submit the necessary documents to renew the ID’s validity.

Yamsuan said this process is redundant and cumbersome, especially for permanently disabled persons facing limited mobility or those who live in far-flung communities with limited access to issuing offices.

“Requiring them to appear in person every few years to renew an ID that certifies an unchanging medical condition contradicts the spirit of accessibility and inclusion promoted by the Magna Carta for PWDs,” Yamsuan said.

The social welfare benefits provided to PWDs include the 20 percent discount and value-added tax (VAT) exemptions on medicines, food, transport and other goods and services; educational assistance; employment support and other benefits.