All persons with disabilities (PWDs) across the country will be required to register under the new Unified PWD ID System, including individuals who currently hold valid identification cards.
National Council on Disability Affairs (NCDA) Executive Director Glenda Relova announced the rollout during a press conference on Wednesday, November 4.
Under the centralized digital system, applicants with non-apparent disabilities must submit medical documents for verification. Meanwhile, those with apparent disabilities are exempt from presenting a disability certificate. To address potential fraud, the NCDA will collaborate with medical professionals and partner organizations to verify questionable submissions.
“The Unified Persons with Disability ID System is the new centralized and digital system for PWD identification, intended to put an end to the use of fake IDs and ensure that benefits reach only legitimate persons with disabilities,” Relova said.
The newly introduced ID will feature a unique identification number and a QR code generated exclusively by the NCDA system.
“We are the only ones who can generate the ID number through our system, so it cannot be faked,” Relova explained.
She noted that the proliferation of fraudulent IDs has cast unfair suspicion on legitimate cardholders, particularly those with hidden or non-apparent conditions.
“That’s the most painful of all because there are people who try to bend our system. Authentic persons with disabilities are sacrificed. Their use of IDs becomes questionable,” she lamented.
The development of the digital system stems from a December 2024 Senate inquiry, which revealed that roughly 8.5 million PWD IDs were circulating nationwide, starkly contrasting with the Philippine Registry for Persons with Disabilities’ (PRPWD) recorded 1.9 million registered individuals. This discrepancy pointed to an estimated 6 million to 6.5 million potentially fake IDs.
According to the inquiry, the fraudulent use of PWD privileges—such as the 20% discount and 12% value-added tax (VAT) exemption—cost the government an estimated ₱88.2 billion in revenue in 2023 alone. Relova expressed hope that curbing these losses would redirect funds toward critical social services.
“Based on the 2024 Senate inquiry, there is a big loss to the PWD community. It’s a big loss to our tax revenue. The possible loss includes the 12% VAT exemption,” she stated, adding, “I hope the government will use this loss for our social protection services, such as creating more rehabilitation centers. I hope we can provide scholarships so more people can receive occupational therapy and speech therapy, as well as assistive devices.”
Defense of Privileges
1-PWD Party-list first nominee John Darnell Castro defended the necessity of the 20% discount, stressing that it addresses the unique, lifelong expenses borne by individuals with disabilities.
“I want people to understand why the 20-percent discount is given. First, it is not so that PWDs can simply save money, get discounts, or become rich. The 20% discount is given because we have other needs that persons without disabilities do not have,” Castro said.
Addressing recent proposals from some business and restaurant owners to slash the discount down to 5%, Castro warned of the severe impact such changes would impose on the community.
“That’s the only leeway we have to get therapy and buy maintenance medicines because these are lifelong needs. That’s why there’s a 20% discount. But I have heard restaurant and business owners say that the discount should be reduced to 5%,” he noted.
“That’s why the sector is suffering. The issue here is very simple. It’s just basic human decency. I told our countrymen not to choose to do wrong because the end result is suffering. Real PWDs need that. They need that 20%,” he concluded.