MANILA - Sen. Lito Lapid is pushing for the passage of a bill that would revoke the expiration date of identification cards for persons with disabilities (PWD) who are suffering from lifetime complications.

Senate Bill No. 1795 removes the "unnecessary burden of renewing PWD ID’s every three years," Lapid said in a statement.

"Hindi na sila dapat pahirapan pang i-renew ang kanilang PWD ID lalo na kung ang kapansanan nila ay panghabang-buhay na," he said.

(We should ease their difficulties in renewing their PWD ID, especially if they have a lifetime disability.)

"Makakabigat lamang sa kanila ang pagsasailalim sa paulit-ulit na proseso ng pagkuha ng ID at pag-aaksaya lang din ito ng kanilang oras at salaping pambayad sa renewal fee," he said.

(The repeated process of getting an ID and wasting their time and money for the fees only add to their burden.)

Under the current law, the government needs to re-evaluate if a PWD is still suffering from a certain condition, which makes him or her entitled to a PWD ID.

The ID gives the bearer a 20 percent discount from several services, and exempts him or her from paying value added taxes.

Lapid said the regular re-evaluation should not apply to those who were born with defects like "blindness, deafness, loss of limb or body parts."

Sen. Sonny Angara earlier urged the Senate to investigate and tighten the issuance of PWD IDs after several establishments reported that some cards have the same ID numbers.

PWD ID cards are issued either by mayors or barangay captains, and are given to those who are suffering from psychosocial, chronic illness, learning, mental, visual, orthopedic, speech or hearing impairments.

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