Personally, I did not know about PWD Card for disable person and I am very surprise when after reading some articles about the PWD card and its benefits. And I wondered if this card is can be used by my son who has Global Development Delay.
I think that there are some parents who is not yet know about PWD card and I would like to share the benefits of having a PWD card.
Who is entitled to PWD Card
Identification Cards shall be issued to any bonafide PWD with permanent disabilities due to any one or more of the following conditions: psychosocial, chronic illness, learning, mental, visual, orthopedic, speech and hearing conditions. This includes persons suffering from disabling diseases resulting to the person’s limitations to do day to day activities as normally as possible such as but not limited to those undergoing dialysis, heart disorders, severe cancer cases and such other similar cases resulting to temporary or permanent disability.
Requirements for Applying PWD card
- Filled out application form, either by applicant or care-giver. Forms can be obtained at Office of the Mayor, Office of the Barangay Captain, National Council on Disability Affairs (NCDA) or its reginal counterpart, DSWD Offices and any participating organizations with memorandum of agreements with the Department of Health.
- Two (2) 1×1 pictures
- A duly signed clinical abstract by any licensed private, government clinic or hospital-based physician.
Procedures to Get PWD card
- Applicant or care-giver must fill up the application form, attaching the 2 1×1 ID pictures and signed clinical abstract.
- Applicant, care-giver, or registration center personnel must then bring or upload the application to the nearest City of Municipal Health Office or its satellite offices or stations at the barangay for verification.Note: If PWD is not ambulatory, the receiving health officer shall do a home visit to validate the entries and disability.
Applications that were disapproved shall be advised regarding the deficiencies and shall be allowed to reapply until complied.
- Once verified, the forms will be sent to the Health Officer of the Main City or Municipal Health Center. The Health Officer will then fill up a certification form, affix a control number, and upload the information to the Philippine Registry for Persons with Disabilities that can be downloaded from the DOH National Office Website.
- Applicant must bring the duly approved application form and certificate of disability to the City or Municipal Social Welfare Office or NCDA for issuance of the identification card.
Benefits and Incentives of PWD Card
• 20% Discount.
It includes the purchases of medicines, admission fee privileges, medical and dental services in government and private hospitals and transportation privileges.
• Educational Assistance.
Educational assistance to persons with disability, for them to pursue primary, secondary, tertiary, post tertiary, as well as vocational or technical education in both public and private schools through the provision of scholarships, grants, financial aids, subsidies and other incentives to qualified persons with disability, including support for books, learning materials, and uniform allowance, to the extent feasible.
• Privileges on granting special discounts in special programs
To the extent possible, the government may grant special discounts in special programs for persons with disability on purchase of basic necessities and prime commodities in supermarkets and grocery stores. The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the Department of Agriculture (DA) shall issue necessary guidelines for the implementation of this scheme.
• Express lanes privileges
Express lanes for persons with disability shall be provided in all private, commercial and government establishments; in the absence thereof, priority shall be given to them in all the transactions of the establishments . LGUs shall ensure that this provision is implemented within their area of jurisdiction.
• Tax incentives for care-givers of PWD’s
There will be tax exemption for the care-givers of a person with disability
Sources: http://www.gov.ph