Merchants can scan unified digital PWD cards for verification --NCDA

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The National Council on Disability Affairs (NCDA) said that merchants can scan the newly established unified digital ID to verify its authenticity. However, it stressed that a presumption of regularity should still apply to persons with disabilities (PWD).

The NCDA is rolling out its Unified PWD Identification System (UPWDIS), which is a centralized platform to curb fraudulent PWD cards. The Department of Justice had previously raised the alarm on an estimated 6 million fake PWD cards.

“Ang digital ID natin may unique QR Code po. So, iyong QR code po ii-scan lang ng ating mga merchants and then pag-scan didiretso po iyan sa government portal ng DSWD (Department of Social Welfare and Development), and then makikita po na verified iyong ating persons with disabilities. So ganoon lang kabilis po iyong pag-verify niya,” NCDA spokesperson Walter Jason Alava said on the Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon public briefing.

(Our digital ID has a unique QR code. So, this QR code can be scanned by merchants, which will go directly to a portal of the DSWD, then we can see the verified persons with disabilities. This makes it fast to verify.)

However, Alvava said that there is a Department of Justice (DOJ) opinion that stated that there should be a presumption of regularity

“Mayroon presumption of regularity kapag nag-present po ang ating mga person with disability ng kanilang identification. So, kailangan po bigyan natin sila ng discounts and then, kung nagdududa tayo ‘di ba na iyong person with disability, doon lang tayo magbi-verify,” the spokesperson said.

(There is a presumption of regularity if a person with disabilities presents identification. So we need to give them the discounts and then if we doubt the person with disability, that is when we verify.)

Alvava said that registration for the new digital ID is still in-person at local government units, as the council was still checking how to enhance an online registration system.

According to a Facebook post from the NCDA, a physical card may be printed upon request.

People with existing PWD cards only need to bring their IDs as long as they are still valid and unexpired. For first-time registrants, those who do not have an apparent disability must bring a certificate of disability from a licensed physician. —LDF, GMA News