NCDA: 2.9 million legitimate PWD IDs issued, outnumbered by fakes

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The National Council on Disability Affairs (NCDA) said Saturday it has already issued up to 2.9 million legitimate identification cards for persons with disability (PWD), but the number is dwarfed by fake ones currently in circulation.

In an interview on Super Radyo dzBB, NCDA spokesperson Walton Jason Alava said the issuance of fake PWD cards has been a pervasive issue, which already cost the government billions in lost revenues.

"Based sa aming data, nasa mga around 2.8… 2.9 million na po, 'yung mga persons with disabilities na nabigyan ng mga identification cards," Alava said.

(Based on our data, around 2.8… 2.9 million persons with disabilities were given identification cards.)

"Nasa mga 8.5 to 9 million in circulation na persons with disability identification cards," he added, citing information reported in a Senate hearing in 2024.

(Around 8.5 to 9 million persons with disability identification cards are in circulation.)

Asked if this discrepancy meant to an estimated 6.5 million fake PWD IDs, Alava said, "yes."

The Department of Justice previously raised an alarm over the estimated 6 million fake PWD ID cards, vowing to go after fraudulent holders.

According to Alava, their basis for the number of PWDs in the country is solely based off the number of PWD cards they have issued.

Citing data from the World Health Organization, however, Alava said that 15 to 16% of a population is likely to be disabled. A number of PWDs in the Philippines are likely unrecorded, he said.

"Some of the persons with disabilities, especially doon sa mga categories natin sa non-apparent, yung mga hindi nakikita…hindi sila kumukuha ng IDs kaya hindi sila nasama sa ating talaan," Alava said.

(Some of the persons with disabilities, especially in the non-apparent categories, those who could not be seen… they are not getting IDs so they are not included in the list.)

In a 2024 hearing of the Senate ways and means committee, Senator Sherwin Gatchalian said the government has lost some P88.2 billion in taxes because of fake PWD IDs. — VDV, GMA News