The highly urbanized Bacolod City was highlighted by the Senate Committee on Ways and Means, led by Senator Win Gatchalian, for its innovative security feature on PWD identification cards.
The recognition came up Thursday, Dec. 5, during discussions on Senate Resolution No. 1239, which seeks to address how fraudulent identification cards are being used to unlawfully claim the 20 percent Person with Disability and Value Added Tax exemption, which negatively affects government tax collection.
The Senate inquiry, which was attended by Bacolod City Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez, was conducted in aid of legislation, to determine the impact of tax leakages caused by the proliferation and misuse of fake PWD identification cards.
To combat the issue of counterfeit PWD IDs, Benitez has implemented QR codes on PWD cards in Bacolod which ensures that individuals who truly belong to the PWD sector receive the discounts they are entitled to.
The QR code allows establishments in the city to easily scan and verify the authenticity of PWD cards, preventing fraud and ensuring that only legitimate cardholders benefit from the privileges.
In a press statement, the City Public Information Office said that the monthly claims for PWD cards have dropped to two to three percent which can be attributed to the verification process enabled by the QR codes.
Glenda Relova, Executive Director III of the National Council on Disability Affairs, expressed an interest in replicating Bacolod City’s system of PWD cards with QR codes.
Relova said that they are aiming to use Bacolod as a benchmark for similar initiatives nationwide. ||
