How to Get a PWD ID in the Philippines

How to Get a PWD ID in the Philippines?

If you’re a PWD in the Philippines, you’re not only a part of the Philippine society but also entitled to privileges and benefits that keep you from being disadvantaged.

While you have equal rights as any other Filipino, you receive advantages to make up for the disadvantages you have from your disability/disabilities and for you to have equal opportunities as abled people. 

RA 7277 defines Persons with Disabilities (PWD) as those who, due to any mental, physical, or sensory impairment, suffer from the restriction of different abilities to perform activities in the manner or within the range considered normal for a human being. 

Apart from the physical, mental, or sensory disadvantages PWDs have, there’s also a high chance of them dealing with discrimination. So to ensure every PWD receives equal opportunities as every non-PWD, several laws serve and protect their rights and welfare.

Republic Acts for PWD 

how to get pwd id
Image Source: Instagram

While there are several republic acts focused on the welfare of Filipinos with disabilities, here are some of the main ones:

REPUBLIC ACT NO. 7277 An Act Providing For The Rehabilitation, Self-Development, And Self-Reliance Of Disabled Person And Their Integration Into The Mainstream Of Society And For Other Purposes.

Under RA 7277, the State adopts policies that ensure the rehabilitation, self-development, and self-reliance of disabled people. 

Disabled people shall have assistance in and access to the following:

  • Employment
  • Education
  • Health
  • Auxiliary Social Services
  • Telecommunications
  • Accessibility
  • Political and Civil Rights

REPUBLIC ACT NO. 10524An Act Expanding The Positions Reserved For Persons With Disability, Amending For The Purpose Republic Act No. 7277, As Amended, Otherwise Known As The Magna Carta For Persons With Disability

Under RA 10524, persons with disabilities have the right to Equal Opportunity for Employment.

  • No person with a disability should have unequal access to opportunities for suitable employment. 
  • A qualified PWD should be subject to the same employment terms and conditions as a qualified non-PWD.
  • Government agencies and offices must reserve at least one percent of their positions for PWD. 
  • Private corporations with over a hundred employees are encouraged to reserve at least one percent of their job positions for PWD. 

REPUBLIC ACT NO. 10754An Act Expanding The Benefits And Privileges Of Persons With Disability (PWD)

Under RA 10754, persons with disabilities are entitled to at least twenty percent (20%) discount and exemption from the value-added tax (VAT), if applicable, on the following:

  • Fees for the services of hotels or similar lodging establishments, restaurants, and recreation centers
  • Admission fees of theaters, cinema houses, concert halls, circuses, carnivals, and other similar places of culture, leisure, and amusement
  • Purchases of medicines in all drugstores
  • Fees for medical and dental services, including diagnostic and laboratory fees and attending doctors’ professional fees in all government facilities (subject to the guidelines of the DOH, in coordination with PhilHealth)
  • Fees for medical and dental services, including diagnostic and laboratory fees and attending doctors’ professional fees in all private hospitals and medical facilities, under the rules and regulations of the DOH, in coordination with PhilHealth
  • The fare for domestic air and sea travel
  • The actual fare for land transportation travel: public utility buses or jeepneys (PUBs/PUJs), taxis, Asian Utility Vehicles (AUVs), shuttle services, and public railways, Light Rail Transit (LRT), Metro Rail Transit (MRT), and Philippine National Railways (PNR)
  • The fees for funeral and burial services for the death of the PWD: the purchase of a casket or urn, embalming, hospital morgue, and transport of the body to the intended burial site
See also  How to Get a Solo Parent I.D. in the Philippines? 

For more information on disability laws, visit the National Council on Disability Affairs’ Disability Laws section. 

Now that we’ve gone over the benefits and privileges PWDs have under various Republic Acts—let’s move forward and figure out what a PWD ID is, what it’s for, who is eligible to apply for one, and what is its application procedure.

What is a PWD ID?

pwd
Image Source: Instagram

A PWD ID is a standard and valid identification card issued to a person with a disability by the Persons with Disability Affairs Office or the Social Welfare and Development Office where the person lives.

A PWD ID serves as proof that a person is entitled to availing benefits and privileges granted to PWDs by the law. 

Who can Apply for and Be Issued a PWD ID?

pwd id
Image Source: Instagram

Any person or citizen in the Philippines who suffers from one or more disabilities recognized in RA 7277 is eligible to apply for a PWD ID. 

There are seven categories of disabilities mentioned in RA 7277, and these are:

Psychosocial Disability

pertains to any acquired behavioral, cognitive, emotional, or social impairment that limits a person’s ability to interact with another person or the environment. 

Ex. Antisocial behavior

Chronic Illness

Pertains to a health condition or disease that is recurring or remains for a long time and may cause permanent disabilities. Some chronic diseases may worsen over time and may even lead to death.

Ex. Blindness due to Diabetes

Mental Disability

pertains to any disability resulting from any organic brain syndrome, mental illness, or disorder. 

Ex. Depression 

Learning Disability

Pertains to any disorder in one or more of the psychological processes that make it difficult for a person to focus, comprehend, and keep information.

Ex. Dyslexia

Visual Disability

Pertains to any permanent impairment of a person’s visual functioning. One is legally blind when the best corrected central visual acuity in the better eye is 6/60 or worse or side vision of 20 degrees or less in the better eye.

Orthopedic Disability

Pertains to any disability in the normal functioning of the joints, muscles, or limbs. People who have had limbs amputated also belong to this category.

See also  How Does GCash Padala Work?

Ex. Scoliosis

Communication Disability

Pertains to any impairment in the process of speech, language, and hearing. There are two types of communication disability: 

  1. Hearing Impairment is the total or partial loss of hearing abilities.
  1. Speech and Language Impairment is having difficulty in articulation, rhythm, or the receptive or expressive processes of language.

How to Apply for Issuance of PWD ID

how to get pwd id in the philippines
Image Source: Instagram

There are two ways to apply for the issuance of a PWD ID. One is through a walk-in application, and the other is through an online application.

Here’s a step-by-step guide we at Peso Lab have prepared for both modes of application to make things easier for you when the time comes that you or someone you know will apply. 

Walk-in Application

Step 1: Prepare and complete the following documents:

  • Two (2) ‘1×1’ recent ID pictures with the applicant’s names and signatures or thumb marks at the back of each picture
  • One (1) valid government-issued ID or barangay clearance/certificate
  • Latest disability or medical Certificate or school assessment that confirms disability condition from licensed private or government clinic or hospital-based medical professional
  • Completed PWD ID application form 

The form is available at any of the following sites:

  • National Council on Disability Affairs (NCDA) or its regional counterpart
  • Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) offices
  • Participating organizations with memorandums of agreement with the DOH
  • Office of the Mayor
  • Office of the Barangay Captain
  • PWD ID application form from the DOH website
  • DOH Online Registration System

Step 2: Go to the nearest Municipal/City Social Welfare Development Office in your residence:

  • Persons with Disability Affairs Office (PDAO) of the city hall or municipal hall where you live
  • City/Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office
  • City or Municipal Health Office or its satellite offices
  • Office of the Mayor
  • Office of the Barangay Captain
  • NCDA office (for urgent cases)

Step 3: Submit all your completed documents and requirements

Step 4: Wait for your application to be processed

Alternatively, if you don’t have time to visit the Municipal/City Social Welfare Development Office near you, you still have an option to opt for the online application.

Online Application

Step 1: Go to the Department of Health Philippine Registry for Persons with Disability site at: https://pwd.doh.gov.ph/faqs.php

Step 2: Access the PWD ID online application form at:  https://pwd.doh.gov.ph/online_applicationadd.php

Step 3: Fill out the personal information and other information section of the online form

See also  Will GCash Refund My Money?

Step 4: Print out the completed form and affix the ID photos. 

Step 5: Wait for your information and documents to be checked and verified

After applying for a PWD ID, all there’s left to do is wait for your application to be processed and then claim your PWD ID card and the purchase booklet you’ll use each time you avail of a PWD benefit. Now that you know how to apply for a PWD ID, here are a few answers to post-application FAQs. 

FAQs

1. How can I verify the status of my PWD ID Card application?

You can verify the status of your PWD ID card by visiting the Department of Health’s Philippine Registry for Persons with Disability at https://pwd.doh.gov.ph/

Once you’ve accessed the site, you’ll have to Click ID Verification and enter your ID number to check the status of your PWD ID card.

2. How long is the validity of my PWD ID Card?

Based on the guidelines set under the National Council on Disability Affairs Administrative Order No. 001 series of 2021, the PWD ID is valid for five years. 

3. How do I renew my PWD ID Card?

To renew your expired PWD ID, you’ll have to fill up the same application form and submit the same updated documentary requirements as the first time you applied. You’ll also have to bring your expired PWD ID as you’ll need to surrender it before they issue you a new one. 

4. What should I do if I lose my PWD ID Card?

In cases of lost PWD ID cards, the cardholder or their representative will have to get a notarized Affidavit of Loss and present this with their purchase booklet and a valid ID at the Persons with Disabilities Affairs Office near their area.

5. Will I receive discounts for online purchases using my PWD ID Card?

Yes, you can enjoy the 20% discount benefit of your PWD ID Card even for online purchases. You’ll find written in the Joint Memorandum No. 1 Series of 2022 that PWDs can avail of the 20% discount on their purchases of products and commodities through online shopping platforms and phone calls or text messages.

Final Thoughts

Whether your disability/disabilities are discernible to the naked eye or not, you are recognized, not as a disabled person but as a person who deserves support and assistance.

So we hope you can use this article to be more informed of the privileges and benefits you have as a PWD and be empowered to apply for a PWD ID ASAP!

Read More:

How to Get a TIN ID in the Philippines?

How to Get a Philhealth ID in the Philippines?

How to Get UMID ID Online Philippines

Similar Posts