MANILA, Philippines — From “legally blind pilots” to couples claiming a “conjugal disability,” restaurant owners encountered many stories from individuals, who are using fake persons with disabilities (PWD) cards.
Data from the Department of Health showed that as of Nov. 9, 2024, there are 1.8 million registered PWDs in the country.
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Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian, however, pegged the number of PWD cards circulating in the country at 8 million based on their own research and conversation with different establishments.
“Sir, it feels more like 9 million to us, from the restaurants perspective,” Eric Teng, president of the Restaurant Owners of the Philippines (Resto PH) told the Senate committee on ways and means on Thursday.
Article continues after this advertisementThe committee being headed by Gatchalian is looking into the proliferation and unscrupulous use of fake PWD cards.
Article continues after this advertisement“It seems like everyone seems to want to have a PWD card,” Teng added.
Article continues after this advertisementGatchalian admitted even his friends who are drinkers are using the PWD card to avail of a 20 percent discount for certain goods and services.
The discount is provided for under Republic Act 10754 or the “Magna Carta for Disabled Persons”
Article continues after this advertisement“May mga kaibigan ako na manginginom pero may PWD IDs,” he said. “Gabi-gabi, inom ng inom. Gabi-gabi gimik ng gimik pero may PWD ID and the PWD is authentic, issued by an LGU (local government unit).”
(I have friends who are drinkers but have PWD IDs. Every night, they drink and go out partying, but they have a legitimate PWD ID issued by an LGU)
For Teng, however, having a table with 10 people holding PWD cards is a regular sight now in restaurants.
“In the restaurant, we see a lot of 100 percent of population being disabled,” he said.
He said there were pilots who would present PWD cards supposedly for visual disability.
“In other words, they are legally blind pilots,” the Resto PH head said.
There was also a case of a husband and wife with the same serial number on their PWD cards and they claimed it to be a “conjugal disability.”
“We’ve had a lot of amusing stories that later on it becomes less funny because they are claiming so much discount,” Teng said.
Just two years ago, he said, 5 percent of their sales were affected by the PWD discounts.
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But this number jumped to 25 percent or more, which he said would force the industry to raise prices to the detriment of legitimate PWD sector.
“Our industry was about $16 billion in 2023. If we were to factor about 25 percent, that means up to $1B was lost in sales for 2023 alone,” he pointed out.
“The loss in revenue and harm to the legitimate PWD community is very, very real and it’s a clear and present danger for the survival of the restaurant industrymilyon88,” Teng added.
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