Copyright journal
HERE’S some welcome news for persons with disability (PWDs). The PWD identification cards (IDs) they now hold will soon be valid forever once a bill filed by Senator Erwin Tulfo becomes law. Sen. Tulfo, who has been championing the rights of marginalized sectors, likewise called for better implementation of the Magna Carta for PWDs and the cooperation of local government units for the purpose. His proposed bill seeks lifetime validity for such IDs, by amending Republic Act No. 7277 or the “Magna Carta for Persons with Disability.” Under Senate Bill No. 1405 Sen. Tulfo, who chairs the Senate Committee on Social Justice, Welfare and Rural Development, said the issuance of the said IDs for PWDs will be free of charge and shall be valid for the entire lifetime of the cardholder. “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. 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,” the Senator lamented. He added: “Their PWD IDs are very important because they receive their benefits through that card. Giving expiry dates to their IDs is like depriving them of access to the benefits given to them by law.” The “Magna Carta for Persons with Disability” provides several benefits and privileges, including a 20% discount on goods and services, equal opportunities for employment and education, among others. “The government should lighten the load of the PWDs who have long been suffering from their personal battles,” Tulfo stressed. Once enacted into law, Tulfo said the measure “is a small but meaningful step toward respecting PWDs’ rights, easing their burdens, and streamlining public service.”
