Sen. Erwin Tulfo has filed Senate Bill 1405 to grant permanent and free identification cards for persons with disability (PWDs), removing the need for periodic renewals that he said only add strain to an already vulnerable sector.
The proposed measure seeks to amend Republic Act 7277, also known as the Magna Carta for Persons with Disability, which guarantees PWDs benefits such as discounts on goods and services, and equal access to education and employment.
Tulfo argued that renewing PWD IDs forces beneficiaries to repeatedly spend time and money just to secure privileges already granted to them by law. “This is the plight of Filipino PWDs: once their ID expires, they need to line up again to get their requirements, and they need money for transport fares,” he said.
He stressed that the renewal process often means added hardship. “They need to yet again allot time, energy, and resources just to renew their IDs, despite their disability. It is like adding insult to injury,” he noted.
“Giving expiry dates to their IDs is like depriving them of access to the benefits given to them by law,” Tulfo added, emphasizing that lifetime validity aims to uphold dignity and ease of access for PWDs nationwide.
