The Persons with Disability identification card or the PWD ID is primary identification card for people with disabilities, giving them access special privileges such as discounts as mandated by the law. However, this privilege has been widely abused through the proliferation of fake PWD IDs, which in turn hurts not just the establishments and the government, but also the legitimate beneficiaries that need it.
Fake PWD IDs
Sadly, this has been going on for years. This became a hot issue again as some establishments recently voiced out that fake PWD IDs are hurting their businesses and have become more strict in delivering these privileges due to the possibility that the person might be impersonating as a PWD with a fake ID in order to get a discount (Ladies and gentlemen, the toxic Filipino culture of panlalamang sa kapwa as “diskarte” at work). However, although unintentional, it unnecessarily puts a stigma on real PWDs especially those with disabilities that are not visually obvious. What is obvious, though, is that the system is broken and it needs to be fixed. ASAP!
Unified Identification System for PWDs
The idea for this system is no longer new. Back in 2020, two lawmakers have urged the government to review Republic Act 10754 or the Act Expanding the Benefits and Privileges of Persons with Disability, and called for a crackdown on people impersonating PWDs and one of their suggestions is the creation of a a national PWD database, with PWDs carrying QR Codes containing their details that can be checked and verified online through mobile apps when claiming discounts.
In December 2024, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) announced that it will launch a unified PWD ID system that can be used by the business establishments for real-time updating and ID verification.
In January 2025, the DSWD announced that it has already scheduled a pilot-test of its unified Identification (ID) system for persons with disabilities (PWDs) from January to June this year and will be rolled out across the country in July. It will be managed by the DSWD and the National Council on Disability Affairs (NCDA), in collaboration with local government units (LGUs), through their respective Persons with Disability Affairs Offices (PDAO).
According to the DSWD, the unified PWD ID system will feature both a physical ID with RFID, and a digital ID with the biometric data of the PWD to prevent fraud. The digital ID will be accessible via mobile app or web portal. The system will also employ a web-based portal that can be used for real-time updating and local-level ID verification linked to the Philippine Registry for Persons with Disability.
Possible challenges
While the system sounds promising, it is certainly not without any challenges. Data security is one of the biggest concerns. Having an online system with that massive amount of data will make it an attractive target for cybercriminals, and we’re no stranger to these government-related data breaches. Comelec was hacked in 2016 while PhilHealth was hacked in 2023.
As of January 08, 2025, the NCDA notes that there are 1.9 million total registered Persons with Disabilities in the country. That’s a big target.
System performance and reliability are also a concern. No PWD would want to hear that an establishment cannot provide him/her with a discount because the system is offline.
Then there’s the matter of the issuance of the cards. We’ve already seen this with the delays of the issuance of the National I.D. as well as the LTO’s shortage of plastic cards for driver’s licenses. We hope the government has learned from this as well.
Is this enough?
We can all agree that we want to do our part in caring for our PWDs while at the same time stop PWD ID fraud once and for all. The technology is there but its success will rely heavily on the national and local government’s effective implementation and our firm stance against abuse.
