MANILA — Senate Committee on Social Justice, Welfare, and Rural Development Chairman Erwin Tulfo has filed a bill seeking lifetime validity for Persons with Disability (PWD) Identification Cards.

Under Tulfo’s Senate Bill No. 1405, which aims to amend Republic Act No. 7277 or the “Magna Carta for Persons with Disability,” the issuance of PWD IDs will be free of charge and valid for the lifetime of the cardholder.

“This is the plight of Filipino PWDs: once their ID expires, they need to line up again to get their requirements, and they need money for transport fares. They need to yet again allot time, energy, and resources just to renew their IDs, despite their disability. It is like adding insult to injury!” Tulfo said.

He added, “Their PWD IDs are very important because they receive their benefits through that card. Giving expiry dates to their IDs is like depriving them of access to the benefits given to them by law.”

The Magna Carta for Persons with Disability provides benefits including a 20% discount on goods and services, as well as equal opportunities for employment and education.

Tulfo said the bill, once enacted into law, “is a small but meaningful step toward respecting PWDs’ rights, easing their burdens, and streamlining public service.”

He also called for better implementation of the Magna Carta for PWDs and urged local government units to cooperate in this effort.