MANILA – A unified Identification (ID) system for persons with disabilities (PWDs) is scheduled to be pilot-tested from January to June this year and will be rolled out across the country in July, an official of the National Council on Disability Affairs (NCDA) said on Thursday.
The NCDA is an attached agency of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
The issuance of the unified ID system is one of the proposed recommendations to address the illegal issuance, sale, and utilization of fake PWD IDs.
“Nagkaroon po tayo ng round-table discussion…doon po ay nagkaroon ng pagbabalangkas na mag-iissue po ang DSWD ng isang unified ID system. Inaantay lang po namin na ma-finalize ang terms of reference para ma-plantsa po natin ang different phases ng pagre-release ng ID (We had a roundtable discussion where we came up with a framework where DSWD would issue a unified ID system. We are just waiting for the terms of reference to be finalized, for us to iron out the different phases of release),” NCDA Executive Director Glenda Relova told reporters during the regular Thursday media forum at the DSWD central office in Quezon City.
Relova said the members of the NCDA Governing Board, chaired by the DSWD, came up with recommendations to address the concerns regarding the abuse on the availment of statutory discounts and privileges for PWDs as mandated by Republic Act (RA) 10754, also known as An Act Expanding the Benefits and Privileges of Persons with Disability.
The creation of a unified ID system for persons with disabilities will be managed by the DSWD and the NCDA, in collaboration with local government units (LGUs), through their respective Persons with Disability Affairs Offices (PDAO).
Relova said that during their initial discussion, the application, verification, and approval process will still be under the PDAO. The DSWD, on the other hand, will be the central authority that will issue the unified ID.
The unified ID system will feature both a physical ID, and a digital ID with the biometric data of the PWD to prevent fraud.
The physical ID will be an RFID (radio frequency identification) -enabled PVC card with high-security features intended for offline use.
Meanwhile, the digital ID will be accessible via a mobile app or web portal, with features such as QR codes for quick verification.
Relova said the unified ID system will 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. (PNA)