Lifetime PWD ID allows access to services without disruption: CHR

The issuance of a lifetime ID for PWDs is “an official recognition and validation of their unique needs and situation,” the CHR said. (Pixabay photo)

MANILA – The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) has expressed its support to the passage of a bill seeking the lifetime validity of identification cards (ID) issued to persons with disabilities (PWD), saying this would allow the sector to access services without disruption.

The issuance of a lifetime ID for PWDs is “an official recognition and validation of their unique needs and situation,” the CHR said.

“It reduces administrative burdens while also making it easy for the sector to consistently access services and entitlements that meet their needs without disruption, especially during emergency and crisis situations,” the CHR said in a statement Thursday.

Last month, Cagayan de Oro City Representative Jordan Suan filed House Bill 8440 amending Republic Act 7277 or the Magna Carta for Disabled Persons.

The bill, if passed into law, would serve as a tool to assert the rights of PWDs under the law and to ensure equal treatment, non-discrimination, and consistent accessibility in different areas of their lives, the CHR said.

Under the proposal, the National Council on Disability Affairs shall issue its implementing rules and regulations, after consulting with the Department of the Interior and Local Government, Department of Health, Department of Social Welfare and Development, and other concerned government agencies and stakeholders.

The law mandates 20 percent discount in various establishments and services, including but not limited to transportation fares, medical and dental services, medicines, educational assistance, recreational activities, and basic commodities for PWD ID holders.