DSWD joins government campaign vs fake PWD IDs

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has joined the government’s campaign against the proliferation of fake person with disability (PWD) ID cards, through the creation of a unified ID system, which will employ a web-based portal that can be used for real-time updating and verification by business establishments.

The use of a unified ID system was among the resolutions of the roundtable discussion with stakeholders presided over by Secretary Rex Gatchalian last Dec. 11 at the DSWD’s central office in Quezon City.

“The creation of a unified ID system which will employ a web-based portal will be launched the soonest,” Gatchalian wrote on his Facebook account last Dec. 11.

While in the process of creating the system, Gatchalian urged the public to report incidents involving the sale of fake PWD IDs to the National Council on Disability Affairs, an attached agency of the DSWD, through [email protected], to the Persons with Disability Affairs Office or any law enforcement agency.

The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) has also launched a national crackdown against the sale and use of fake PWD IDs as revenue losses from this type of tax evasion scheme already amounted to over P88 billion.

Under the law, persons with disabilities’ benefits include a 20 percent discount and an exemption from value-added tax on certain goods and services.

Fake PWD IDs are not only sold on the streets, but also through online marketplaces, making them easily accessible, according to the BIR.