The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DWSD) is rolling out a unified identification system for persons with disabilities, combining physical and digital IDs.

“The purpose of implementing this is to distinguish if PWD IDs are legitimate and validated,” Asec. Irene Dumlao said in Filipino.

She said the DSWD has acquired software and hardware equipment for the system, which are currently under repair before pilot implementation. Areas for the pilot have been identified, and around 200,000 PWDs will be covered.

New IDs will be issued to PWDs in the pilot areas. Applying is mandatory as their biometric information will be required.

“We will eventually reach a point where everything can be seen on your cellphone, and various government services can be accessed through a portal. At the same time, personal IDs can also be viewed on mobile devices,” Dumlao said.

The PWD ID will have both physical and digital versions, making verification easier. “Our partners will also be able to access the system to check if the ID being presented is legitimate,” she added.