NCDA launches unified PWD ID system w/ QR to curb fake cards

The new identification system is about 80 percent rolled out, and it warns violators of criminal liability.

Courtesy: NCDA

NCDA rolls out unified PWD ID system

The National Council on Disability Affairs (NCDA) has established the Unified Persons with Disabilities Identification System (UPWDIS) as part of its measures against fake and fraudulent PWD identification cards.

Instituted under NCDA Administrative Order No. 001, s. 2026, UPWDIS is a centrally integrated national identification portal meant to curb the unscrupulous use of PWD IDs. NCDA said it also addresses the significant statistical gap highlighted by the Department of Justice (DOJ).

The reported figure of approximately 8.5 million PWD IDs stems from estimates presented during a 2024 Senate Committee on Ways and Means hearing. Based on Department of Health data, about 2,920,054 persons with disabilities were officially registered in the Philippine Registry of Persons with Disabilities as of October 12, 2026.

NCDA said the stark difference warrants immediate corrective action, stricter verification, and systemic digital reform. The system is designed to streamline databases and standardize ID verification to ensure transparency, data accuracy, and protection of the disability sector.

Under the administrative order, the unified PWD ID is issued under a standardized system centrally managed by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and the NCDA. It is produced and distributed locally by the city or municipal local government unit (LGU) where the person with disability resides, in line with Republic Act No. 10754 and its implementing rules.

The ID system is a digital record containing a unique alphanumeric ID number, the registrant's photograph, and a QR code or barcode for secure verification. It also holds demographic information such as name, date of birth and sex, type and severity of disability, and the PhilSys number.

Facial images are to be used only for visual identity verification and authentication, not for automated facial recognition or biometric profiling, consistent with the Data Privacy Act.

IDs of persons with permanent disabilities are valid for life, subject only to updates of demographic information or verification for record accuracy. Those with non-apparent disabilities undergo revalidation every five years, or as specified in implementing guidelines.

Revalidation must be accessible, non-burdensome, and non-discriminatory, and no person with disability may have benefits suspended or denied without due process.

A centralized Unified Persons with Disabilities Registry is maintained through the UPWDIS platform, jointly administered by NCDA and DSWD with technical support from the Department of Information and Communications Technology. Local records kept by LGUs feed into it.

Mobile registration teams are to be deployed to remote, disadvantaged, and underserved areas in coordination with barangays. The system also provides assisted registration for those unable to go to fixed registration centers.

NCDA said the rollout is at 80 percent, reaching approximately 1,100 local government units as of September 2026. It will continue to expand to the remaining localities, with full implementation targeted this year.

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Source: NCDA 1, 2