The government will begin rolling out the Unified Persons with Disabilities (PWD) ID System in 35 towns and cities across the country starting this month.
The initiative, led by the National Council on Disability Affairs (NCDA), aims to serve around 200,000 persons with disabilities in its initial phase. It is part of the Philippines’ broader push for digital identity systems, which already includes over 84 million digital national IDs issued nationwide.
The new PWD ID system will provide both physical and digital identification cards. The digital version will be accessible via a mobile application or web portal and will feature a QR code for verification, similar to the VAL ID system used in Valenzuela City for persons with disabilities.
In an interview on Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon, NCDA Executive Director Glenda Relova said the system aims to eliminate the use of fake PWD IDs, promote inclusivity, and improve access to benefits for those with legitimate disabilities.
“The purpose of the Unified PWD ID System is for us to have only one design, only one issuing authority, so that once our persons with disabilities carry this ID, there will be no more questions or the need to verify it,” Relova said.
At present, each local government unit (LGU) has its own version of the PWD ID, which makes it difficult for establishments to distinguish between genuine and fake cards. The unified system will address this by introducing a standard design with built-in security features.
The physical ID will include a radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag and is expected to be delivered within three months of application. The digital version can be downloaded and used immediately once available. The system is also linked to the National ID and e-verifier platforms, allowing for better authentication and coordination among government agencies.
