The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) has called for the enactment of measure that would grant lifetime validity to identification cards (ID) granted to persons with disabilities (PWDs), claiming that it would lessen administrative burdens on the sector.
Giving people with permanent disabilities perpetual ID cards is an "official recognition and validation of the unique needs and situation of this sector," according to the CHR.
According to the human rights organization, a lifetime ID card for people with disabilities decreases administrative difficulties while also making it easier for the sector to regularly access services and entitlements that match their needs without interruption, particularly during emergency and crisis situations.
House Bill 8440 modifies Republic Act 7277, or the Magna Carta for Disabled Persons.
If the bill is passed, those with permanent disabilities will no longer have to reapply for their ID every three years.
According to CHR, this will provide "protection to the civil and legal rights of those with permanent disabilities" and secure their convenience.
It added that the lifetime ID card is a tool for asserting PWDs' legal rights and ensuring equal treatment, non-discrimination, and constant accessibility in various aspects of their lives.
Once enacted, the law requires the National Council on Disability Affairs to issue implementing rules and regulations after consulting with the Departments of Interior and Local Government, Health, and Social Welfare and Development, as well as other relevant government agencies and stakeholders.
HB 8440 also requires implementing agencies to avoid policy abuse but does not specify a mechanism for doing so.
While ID renewals are required to update a PWD's status and review the benefits they should receive, particularly for those with temporary disabilities, "such a procedure must be re-evaluated for those who have permanent disabilities, such as those with total physical, mental, intellectual, or sensory impairments, among others," the human rights body stated.
PWD cardholders in the Philippines are entitled to a 20% discount on a variety of places and services, including but not limited to transit tickets, medical and dental treatments, medicines, educational support, recreational activities, and essential consumables, as required by law.
According to Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) data from 2018, families with at least one disabled member had a greater poverty incidence (21.9%) than households without a disabled member (16.6%).
