THE Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), along with the National Council on Disability Affairs (NCDA), launched the unified ID system for persons with disabilities (PWDs) on Tuesday.
“The DSWD is very pleased to announce that the rollout for the unified ID for persons with disabilities has commenced in San Miguel, Bulacan,” said Assistant Secretary Irene Dumlao.
“This is the first of the 35 pilot local government units that will be able to provide a more convenient and efficient method of validation for their persons with disabilities constituents,” she added.
Dumlao said the ID rollout is set to continue this week in Pasay City, Muntinlupa City and Santa Rosa, Laguna.
Local government units (LGUs), through their Persons with Disability Affairs Offices, will oversee the application, verification and approval process for the unified ID, while the NCDA will handle centralized ID printing.
The unified ID system features a digital ID accessible via mobile app or web portal, complete with a QR code that can be scanned by businesses for quick verification.
For offline transactions, PWDs can also use physical RFID-enabled PVC cards as an alternative to the digital ID.
Around 200,000 persons with disabilities, representing about 10 percent of the country’s estimated 2 million PWDs, are slated to take part in the pilot rollout.
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 the National Capital Region.
The unified ID system aims to eliminate fake PWD ID cards and promote inclusivity, aligning with the Marcos administration’s initiatives to support the welfare of persons with disabilities through targeted programs and policies.
