Romualdez all for unified PWD ID system

House Speaker Martin Romualdez on Friday expressed full support for the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) plan to establish a unified identification (ID) system for persons with disabilities (PWDs), emphasizing the need for its immediate implementation to prevent fraud and ensure that rightful beneficiaries receive their privileges.

He urged the government to expedite the system’s rollout, highlighting the widespread misuse of fake PWD IDs, which has led to public distrust and unfair burdens on legitimate beneficiaries and businesses.

In a news release, Romualdez stressed the importance of creating a secure, efficient, and tamper-proof ID system to curb fraudulent activities.

He noted that many businesses suffer financial losses due to bogus claims, while genuine PWDs face unnecessary scrutiny and discrimination when availing of their benefits.

Romualdez lauded the DSWD’s initiative to introduce a unified ID system with enhanced security features, calling it a long-overdue reform that must be implemented without unnecessary bureaucratic delays.

To strengthen its integrity, he pushed for additional security measures such as QR codes and tamper-proof verification, which have already been effective in some local government units.

Romualdez also pushed for stricter penalties against individuals and syndicates involved in the production and use of fraudulent PWD IDs. He noted that 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.

At the same time, he called on all stakeholders to actively verify IDs and report any abuses, urging the public to uphold integrity and refrain from exploiting government programs for personal gain.