HOUSE Speaker Martin Romualdez today threw his full support behind the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) plan to establish a unified Person With Disability (PWD) ID system.
He likewise urged the government to fast-track its implementation to end fraud, restore public trust, and ensure rightful beneficiaries receive their privileges without undue burden.
Romualdez emphasized that a unified PWD ID system must be secure, efficient and tamper-proof to stop the widespread misuse of fake IDs, which has eroded confidence in the program and unfairly burdened legitimate persons with disabilities.
“Ang pekeng PWD ID ay hindi simpleng pandaraya—ito ay pagnanakaw sa mga tunay na may kapansanan at sa negosyong sumusunod sa batas. Kailangang wakasan natin ito ngayon na,” Romualdez said.
END ABUSE, RESTORE FAIRNESS
The Speaker lamented that rampant misuse of fraudulent PWD IDs has sparked tensions between businesses and legitimate PWDs, with many establishments forced to bear financial losses due to bogus claims.
On the other hand, legitimate PWDs are unfairly scrutinized and forced to justify their disabilities every time they try to avail of benefits they are entitled to.
“Tuwing may isang mandaraya, nagdurusa ang lahat—ang negosyong nag-aambag sa ekonomiya at ang PWD na kailangang dumaan sa panghuhusga at pagdududa. Hindi ito makatarungan,” he stressed.
Romualdez hailed the DSWD’s initiative to introduce a unified ID system with enhanced security features, such as RFID technology, as a long-overdue reform that must be implemented without unnecessary bureaucratic delays.
“Walang silbi ang bagong sistema kung matagal at mahirap ang proseso para sa mga tunay na may kapansanan. Dapat madali para sa mga lehitimong PWD pero imposible para sa mga manloloko,” he said.
To guarantee the integrity of the PWD ID system, Romualdez pushed for additional security measures, such as QR codes and tamper-proof verification features, which have been successfully adopted by some local government units to curb counterfeiting.
He also called for tougher penalties against individuals and syndicates involved in the production and use of fraudulent PWD IDs.
“Dapat tapusin na natin ang kultura ng ‘palusot’ sa Pilipinas. Ang paggamit ng pekeng PWD ID ay hindi maliit na kasalanan—ito ay pananamantala sa mga tunay na nangangailangan,” Romualdez declared.
CONGRESS WORKING FOR STRONGER PWD ID SYSTEM
Speaker Romualdez said the House of Representatives is preparing parallel legislation to ensure the nationwide standardization of PWD ID issuance, stricter validation protocols, and increased penalties for fraudsters.
“Hindi lang ito tungkol sa bagong ID—ito ay tungkol sa pagpapatibay ng integridad ng ating social programs. Sisiguraduhin natin sa Kongreso na may matibay na batas na susunod ang lahat, lalo na ang mga nagmamanipula ng sistemang ito,” he said.
Romualdez assured the public that Congress will provide full support to DSWD and local government units to ensure the swift and effective rollout of the new system.
CALL FOR NATIONWIDE COOPERATION
Beyond government enforcement, Romualdez emphasized that stopping PWD ID fraud requires a whole-of-society approach, urging businesses, local officials, and ordinary citizens to take an active role in verifying IDs and reporting abuses.
“Walang isang ahensya ang makakagawa nito mag-isa. Lahat tayo may papel—ang gobyerno sa pagpapatupad ng maayos na sistema, ang negosyo sa responsableng pag-verify, at ang publiko sa pagsumbong ng mga nagmamalabis,” he said.
He also called on the Filipino people to uphold integrity and reject the temptation to exploit government programs for personal gain.
“Ang tunay na pagbabago ay nagsisimula sa bawat isa sa atin. Kung may nakikita kayong pang-aabuso, isumbong. Kung negosyante kayo, suriin ang mga ID nang tama. Kung nasa gobyerno kayo, tiyaking walang lusot ang mga mandaraya. Lahat tayo may responsibilidad,” he urged.
Romualdez stressed that legitimate PWDs should no longer have to endure the inconvenience of proving their disabilities every time they claim their rightful benefits.
“Ang isang tunay na PWD ay hindi dapat paulit-ulit na pinagdududahan dahil lang sa mga manloloko. Responsibilidad ng gobyerno na linisin ang sistemang ito at protektahan ang mga tunay na nangangailangan,” he said.
TIME FOR DECISIVE ACTION
The Speaker called on all agencies involved to fast-track the implementation of the new system and put an end to years of abuse and inefficiency. “Ang tamang panahon para umaksyon ay ngayon. Gawin nating mabilis, patas, at ligtas ang bagong PWD ID system—isang sistemang tunay na naglilingkod sa nangangailangan, gumagalang sa negosyo, at nagpapalakas sa tiwala ng publiko sa ating batas,” he concluded.
