BACOLOD City – Effective tomorrow, May 1, only persons with disability (PWD) identification (ID) cards with quick response (QR) codes will be honored for discounts by business establishments in this city.
Officer-in-Charge Alma Gustilo of the Department of Social Services and Development (DSSD) yesterday said they will not extend the April 30 deadline of the replacements of the old versions of the PWD IDs.
New IDs, Gustilo said, are released faster following the city government’s acquisition of a brand-new ID printing machine.
“It’s easy and fast to apply. In a matter of five minutes, if their requirements are complete, they can already claim their PWD ID,” she added.
DSSD has so far issued more than 7,000 PWD IDs with QR codes.
The new PWD IDs equipped with data security features, including a QR code, is part of the ongoing program of the city government to streamline the processing of PWD IDs and to put an end to the proliferation of fake IDs.
In Executive Order (EO) No. 10, signed by Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez on Feb. 27, 2024, it was stated that there is also a need to harmonize the guidelines of the city in the issuance of PWD IDs in consonance with national regulations to enhance the efficiency, transparency, and accessibility of the identification process, making sure that individuals with disabilities receive the support and services they are entitled to under the law, as well as ensuring that indiscriminate issuance of PWD IDs is discontinued./PN
