MANILA – The persons with disabilities identification cards (PWD IDs) previously issued by local government units (LGUs) are still honored by business establishments while the unified ID system is still in the pre-pilot stage, the spokesperson of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) said on Thursday.
“Sa kasalukuyan, ino-honor pa po ng mga iba't ibang mga establisyemento yun pong mga luma na person with disabilities IDs na issued po ng kanilang mga lokal na pamahalaan (At present, the old PWD IDs issued by LGUs are still being honored by the different establishments),” Assistant Secretary Irene Dumlao said in a statement in response to public queries on the acceptability of the existing cards.
She said the DSWD and its attached agency, the National Council on Disability Affairs (NCDA), are currently conducting pre-pilot orientations and technical tests in selected localities to identify possible system errors and areas for improvement on the unified ID system.
“We're still in the pilot run of the unified ID system and we target around 200,000 (persons with disabilities) because we also need to identify if there are any issues or gaps in the system that we need to enhance before we do the nationwide implementation,” she said.
The application, verification, and approval of the unified persons with disabilities ID will be done by the LGUs, through their respective Persons with Disability Affairs Offices.
Among the areas which already participated in the pre-pilot orientation and hands-on sessions of the unified ID system were the cities of Pasay and Muntinlupa in the National Capital Region; San Miguel in Bulacan; and Sta. Rosa in Laguna.
The pilot areas include Parang, Maguindanao from the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao; the cities of Dagupan, San Carlos, Urdaneta, and Alaminos in Pangasinan; Solano, Nueva Vizcaya; almost all municipalities in Bulacan province; Cainta, San Mateo, Santa Rosa, Teresa, and Antipolo City in Rizal province; Carmona, Cavite; Pila, Laguna, Daet, Camarines Norte; Kalibo, Aklan; Candijay, Bohol; Malaybalay, Bukidnon; Koronadal City and Surallah in South Cotabato; and the cities of Pasay and Muntinlupa in NCR.
One of the security features of the unified ID system is the digital ID which can be accessed via the DSWD website, mobile application, the eGov application, or other designated web portals.
The digital ID is equipped with a QR code that enables business establishments to perform swift and reliable online verification.
“We will look at the result of our pilot implementation run para mas maging maayos po yung ating pagpapatupad ng programang ito. And again, yung tinitignan kasi natin at isinasaalang-alang ay yun interes at kapakanan ng atin pong mga (to ensure an orderly implementation of this program. What we are considering here is the welfare of the) persons with disabilities. As much as possible, we want it to be convenient, easy, and more accessible for them,” Dumlao said.
The unified ID system is part of the Marcos administration’s efforts to combat the proliferation of fake PWD ID cards and ensure that more inclusive programs and policies are available for the vulnerable sector. (PNA)