It was only last year when I heard about the PWD card
that would give the persons with disability (PWD) the privileges entitled for
their needs. The local government amended the Republic Act No. 7277, an act for
providing for the rehabilitation, self development, and self reliance of
persons with disability and their integration into the mainstream of society
and for other purposes and otherwise known as The Magna Carta for Disabled
Persons, was passed in March 24, 1992.
I am a proud mom of a six-year old child with special
needs. He is my second child who was diagnosed with Global Developmental
Delay Syndrome. Ever since he was a baby, we noticed some of his traits on lack
of potential at certain points of development that made us confused about what
to do so we consulted to a Developmental Pediatrician. He was born as an
eight-month premature baby boy, sickly and always in the hospital for a long
period of time. We're taking good care of him with unconditional love and undying
support and give him all the necessary medications and therapy that he needs.
I feel for the parents of these children with special
needs and all the family of the persons with disability because medications and
all the things that they need is costly. This is why I am thankful for this law
that specifically required the Department of Health (DOH) to institute a
national health program for PWD’s, establish medical rehabilitation centers in
provincial hospitals and adopt an integrated and comprehensive approach to the
health development of PWD which shall make essential health services available
to them at affordable cost.
Implementing rules and regulations of this Act required
the Department of Health to address the health concerns of seven different
categories of disability which includes the following:
1.
Psychosocial and behavioral disabilities
2.
Chronic illness with disabilities
3.
Learning disabilities (cognitive or
intellectual)
4.
Mental disabilities
5.
Visual or seeing disabilities
6.
Orthopedic/moving disabilities
7.
Communication deficits (speech and hearing
impairment)
Persons with disability shall be entitled to the
following:
(a)
At least 20% discount for the purchase of
medicines in all drugstores for the exclusive use or enjoyment of persons with
disability.
-PWD must present the PWD
identification card and the booklet for medicine discount
-Doctor’s prescription stating
the name of the PWD, age, sex, address, date, generic name of the medicine,
dosage form, dosage strength, quantity, signature over printed name of the
physician, physician’s address, contact number of physician or dentist,
professional license number, professional tax receipt number and narcotic
license number if applicable.
(b)
At least twenty percent discount on medical and
dental services including diagnostic and laboratory fees such as, but not
limited to, x-rays, computerized tomography scans and blood tests, in all
government facilities, subject to guidelines to be issued by the DOH, in
coordination with PHILHEALTH.
(c) At
least twenty percent discount on medical and dental services including
diagnostic and laboratory fees, and professional fees of attending doctors in
all private hospitals and medical facilities, in accordance with the rules and
regulations to be issued by the DOH, in coordination with the PHILHEALTH.
I applied for this PWD
Identification Card for my six-year old son with learning disability and it was
released after one week. Just go to your local Municipal Social Welfare Development
office and present the requirements which include the photocopy of the Doctor’s
certificate/assessment, two pieces 1x1 picture of the person with disability
and fill up the form given to you by the MSWD personnel.
The PWD identification card was
given to me along with a PWD Purchase Slip Booklet for the 20% Discount for all
Medicines. This booklet contains fourteen-page blank slips to be filled up by
the pharmacist when purchasing medicines and another sixteen pages for the copy
of the administrative order issued by the Office of the Secretary of the DOH. I
read this booklet from cover to cover because I don’t want to miss out any of
the information with regards to my son’s rights as a child with special needs.
Recently, I also got the PURCHASE BOOKLET which grants special discounts to persons with disability on the
purchase of necessities and prime commodities pursuant to Section 32 of R.A.
No. 9442, otherwise known as the Magna Carta for Disabled Persons and Other
Purposes.
The booklet contains eight pages
of blank slips to be filled up by the cashier of the grocery store that states
the date of purchase, name of basic/prime commodities purchased, the number of
items purchased, total amount, the remaining balance for the week and the
signature of retailer/authorized representative.
Every person with disability
shall enjoy a special discount of FIVE PERCENT (5%) of the regular retail price
of basic necessities and prime commodities listed below:
Definition of Terms:
(a) “Basic
necessities” – refers to rice, corn, bread, fresh, dried and canned fish and
other marine products, fresh pork, beef and poultry meat, fresh egg, fresh and
processed milk, infant formulas, fresh vegetables, root crops, coffee, sugar,
cooking oil, salt, laundry soap, detergents, firewood, charcoal, candles and
other commodities as maybe classified by the DTI and DA.
(b) “Prime
commodities” – refers to fresh fruits, dried, processed and canned pork, beef
and poultry, meat, dairy products, not falling under basic necessities,
noodles, onions, garlic, diapers, herbicides, poultry, swine and cattle feeds,
veterinary products for poultry, swine and cattle, paper, school supplies, nipa
shingle, ply board, construction nails, batteries, electrical supplies, light
bulbs, steel wire and other commodities that may be classified by the DTI and
the DA.
(c) “Retailer”
– shall mean any natural or judicial person engaged in the business of selling
consumer products directly to consumers, which shall include among others,
supermarket, grocery stores, convenience and mini-convenience and shops
excluding sari-sari stores with a capitalization of less than Php100,000,
public and private wet markets, “talipapa” and cooperative stores;
(d) “Persons
with disability” shall refer to any person suffering from restriction or
different abilities as i.e. result of mental, physical or sensory impairment,
to perform an activity in a manner or within the range considered normal for
human being.
**The
total amount of said purchase shall NOT exceed the amount of One Thousand Three
Hundred Pesos (Php 1,300.00) per calendar WEEK without carry over of the unused
amount.
I also would like to mention that
PWDs are entitled to a 20% discount on fares in public transportation and 20%
discount in fast food chains and restaurants within the country. You just have
to present the PWD Identification Card when we are dining with the PWD. Some
other restaurants would take the whole order for a 20% discount but others
don’t. They would only deduct the discount for one meal of the PWD.
So, there, I hope you learned
something new (to those who don’t know the details yet).
Cheers for the parents and
guardians of the persons with disability and I am still hopeful and praying for
more benefits and privileges that our government would offer to be able for us
and our PWDs to live a better life!
Comments