THE Cebu City Government will delay the replacement and mass reprinting of person with disability (PWD) identification cards until next year due to a lack of funding.
Acting Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia said in a press conference at Casino Español de Cebu on Tuesday, Aug. 27, 2024, that the executive department is currently seeking a source of funding for the project.
Garcia revealed that while a new PWD ID card design with enhanced security features has been presented, there was no allocation for reprinting in the 2024 annual budget.
The acting mayor hopes to include the necessary budget in the upcoming city council deliberations for next year’s budget.
The initiative to reprint the PWD ID cards was ordered by the acting mayor in May 2024 after City Councilor James Anthony Cuenco exposed the illegal printing and issuance of fake PWD ID cards to unqualified individuals, sold for prices ranging from P2,000 to P4,000.
PWD ID cardholders are entitled to benefits such as purchase discounts and P12,000 in annual financial assistance from the city.
After Cuenco’s expose, Garcia immediately suspended the issuance of new PWD ID cards and initiated an investigation into the illegal activities.
Garcia also ordered a review and update of the guidelines for issuing PWD ID cards to ensure that only qualified beneficiaries receive them.
The acting mayor is exploring the possibility of charging the expenses to other offices but stated that if no budget is found, the reprinting may have to wait until the 2025 budget.
False advisory
Meanwhile, Garcia is awaiting the results of an investigation into a false advisory that led around 700 senior citizens to flock to the Office for Senior Citizens Affairs on Wednesday, Aug. 21.
The advisory falsely claimed that seniors needed to replace their old IDs, which they have used since 2019, to receive financial aid. It also mentioned a P100 fee and the need to surrender original IDs.
Garcia said the investigation is ongoing, but identifying the source of the false information has been challenging as it spread online.
The Cebu City Government is scheduled to release the third tranche of financial assistance to registered senior citizens on Sept. 7. / EHP