DSWD to launch PWD ID system in crackdown against fake cards

THE DEPARTMENT of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is set to launch a real-time, cloud-based unified verification system for tracking identification cards for persons with disabilities (PWDs) amid the proliferation of fake ones, its chief said on Tuesday.

Secretary Rexlon T. Gatchalian, in a Malacañang briefing, said it will be rolled out “shortly, after the agency completed the procurement of a digital system to authenticate IDs, issued under the National Commission on Disability Affairs (NCDA).

The system will allow instant verification of ID validity through a live or cloud database, potentially preventing misuse and forgery of PWD credentials, Mr. Gatchalian said.

“This is a preventive step. With this new system, when you scan the QR code or other security feature, you’ll know in real time if the ID is active and legitimate,” he added in mixed English and Filipino. “We plan to roll out the pilot soon and will give you the necessary updates.”

Mr. Gatchalian cited three points in the PWD ID issuance process that make it vulnerable to fraud.

The first involves the unregulated issuance of medical certificates by doctors, which the Department of Health (DoH) addressed through a memorandum circular issued earlier this year.

The circular designates medical specialists authorized to issue specific types of certifications.

The second area of concern is data encoding at the local government level, where government workers could potentially manipulate entries.

The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) has since implemented stricter protocols to ensure that only verified individuals are included in the database.

The third point involves forged IDs allegedly being purchased from commercial forgers, such as those in Recto Avenue in Manila City.

The issuance of fake PWD IDs has been a persistent problem in the Philippines, undermining the integrity of government welfare programs. These counterfeit IDs allow ineligible individuals to fraudulently access benefits such as discounts on goods, services, and utilities that are legally reserved for legitimate PWDs under Republic Act No. 10754. — Chloe Mari A. Hufana