shallow focus photo of pwd signage

How I Applied for a PWD ID for My Child

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This post shares some tips on how I applied for our son with ASD a Persons with Disability (PWD) ID in our local barangay.

I feel that one way for a parent to cope with the reality that his child has a disability is by applying for a PWD ID. I empathize with some parents who don’t get this ID for their PWD children, but I believe in the long run, there is a practical need to get one as disability is a life-long condition.

PWDs need support as they face discrimination, especially those who don’t appear to have problems physically — because they “seem” fine. But in truth, they may be suffering in silence and we have no idea we are contributing to this stigma needlessly.

Our son has been diagnosed with ASD, and we eventually decided to get him a PWD ID, as this helps a lot with his therapy sessions. A PWD can avail of discounts for medicines, doctor check-ups, and even schooling. The discounts can also include food and groceries, but as much as possible we limit the discounts to his medical and educational needs only.

Personally, what I liked best about having a PWD with you is you can park in the PWD parking space anywhere.

The ID is free and is valid for up to 5 years, after which you need to renew it.

Requirements I Prepared

  1. Medical certificate from the doctor who diagnosed my child (neuro dev pedia)
    • There may be an extra charge from the doctor. But it’s best to get it the first time, rather than coming back for it.
  2. Birth certificate of my child (or any government ID)
  3. A couple of 1×1 photos
    • I edited some selfie photos of my son using my phone and printed them on photo paper
    • I prepared also 2×2 photo versions, just in case
  4. Proof of residency from the barangay
    • This may differ depending on where you live, in my case, I asked our landlord to certify us as tenants in his rental house.

Procedures I Went Through

  1. I went to the local barangay hall to inquire about getting a PWD ID. Usually, they have someone who can submit your requirements for you as the PWD ID is printed usually from the City Health Office.
  2. They provided a form that I needed to fill out. I couldn’t submit it right away, because I needed to gather the requirements with it. Also, you would need your child to either sign or put his thumbmark on the form.
  3. I went back the next day to submit the requirements. It helps to get the contact number of the person in charge.
  4. I was able to get the PWD ID with the booklet after a week.

Some Tips / Caveats

  • The type of disability listed on the card may differ from the actual disability specified by the doctor. In my case, the disability is listed as “Intellectual” rather than “Psychosocial”.
    • I asked the person in charge about this, and he mentioned that the Health Office had its own disability classification. It made me raise my eyebrows (since they essentially “overruled” the doctor).
  • The person in charge does not go to the Health Office every day. So set your expectations with him properly about when he will be able to submit the form and get the ID. It may take a while.
  • You could take your child with you to the barangay hall with the requirements I noted already — since the only thing missing would be his signature/thumbmark.

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