When Mental Health Illness is a Disability – PWD Application Guide

Yes, you heard it right. Mental Health is considered a disability on specific terms. When we learned that my wife could avail of a PWD ID to assist her in her medical expenses, we looked for guides for her to have a smooth application. We even went to our local DSWD office to check the latest requirements just to be sure. Here’s our take on availing of this benefit or right in the Philippines.

When is Mental Health Illness Considered a Legal Disability?

Under the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (and applied by our Magna Carta for Disabled Persons), Mental Health Illness is a disability if your condition is long-term or has been persistent for a while. From my wife’s doctor, the ailment is considered long-term if it has been around and persistent for more than a year.

What are PWD (Persons with Disability) in the Philippines Entitled To?

The most significant benefit people with mental health illnesses will appreciate is the 20% discount and VAT exemptions on the expensive medicines they purchase. Imagine the sigh of relief we got when the usual trips to the nearby drugstore costing our purchases of her set of medication for around a month at around 6000 Pesos have now lowered down to about 4000. Not bad, right? We can transfer the extra 2000 to her regular checkup costs.

Aside from medicine discounts, the PWD can also avail the same discounts on medical facilities and services, restaurants, theater and other entertainment, hotels and other lodgings, and travel. They can also avail of the 5% discount on necessities and prime commodities (usually found in the groceries).

PWD Rights and Privileges

PWD should know their rights and privileges to have a better life experience. Every PWD has the right to the same level of access as other human beings. PWD facilities are there to help them step over the hindrance of their disabilities.

PWD are still prone to discrimination these days, especially to those with mental health disabilities. You can still feel the stigma attached to it whenever someone publicly mentions these issues or someone had the strength to tell their own stories related to their struggles. And then some people occasionally provide their own unbelievable opinions about mental problems like depression without looking at facts.

More people do struggle behind the public’s eye, and we must speak up more to remove this stigma. People just can’t accept excuses due to mental health conditions when they can understand, in contrast, physical ones. The brain is still part of our body, and it gets sick from time to time

The Right to Withhold Your Mental Health Condition

PWD with mental health conditions also have the right not to divulge their exact psychological illness in public when someone asks. This right would be the same as the right if someone asked what their underlying physical condition is.

There was this incident when my wife is asking for requirements to open a new savings account for their business, and the bank officer told us that they need IDs with her last name as Jiao. My wife said to her that she only has her Philhealth Card and her PWD card as the updated IDs. In the PWD ID, it states that my wife has mental health disability. The bank officer had this look that she cannot believe that my wife has a mental disability and asked what her disability is. Mela answered her straight to the point. The officer mentioned that she would have a problem doing transactions if she uses the PWD ID as part of her requirements. We should have known better that it is my wife’s right to withhold this information.

How to apply for PWD ID

Before PWD can avail of the benefits or discounts, they must acquire the PWD ID they can present to each establishment. Here are the requirements and steps in applying for a PWD ID:

Requirements

1. Completed application form, either by applicant or caregiver. Forms are available in the following offices
   • Office of the Mayor
   • Office of the Barangay Captain
   • National Council on Disability Affairs (NCDA) or its regional counterpart
   • DSWD offices
   • Participating organizations with memorandums of agreement with the Department of Health (DOH)
   • Online Form
2. Two 1×1 ID pictures
3. A duly-signed clinical abstract by any licensed private or government clinic, or hospital-based physician. The endorsement will usually come from your current Neurologist-Psychiatrist. (Most DSWD officers reject the application due to an inappropriate medical abstract that was given by a non-nuero /psych doctor)

Steps

1. Applicant or care-giver must fill up the application form, attaching the 2 1×1 ID pictures and signed clinical abstract.
2. Applicant, care-giver, or registration center personnel must bring or upload the application to the nearest City or Municipal Health Office or its satellite offices, or stations at the barangay for verification. Note: If PWD is not ambulatory, the receiving health officer shall do a home visit to validate the entries and disability. Applicants who were disapproved shall be advised regarding the deficiencies and shall be allowed to reapply until requirements are complete.
3. Once verified, the forms will be sent to the health officer of the Main City or Municipal Health Center. The health officer will then fill up a certification form, affix a control number, and upload the information to the Philippine Registry for Persons with Disabilities that can be downloaded from the DOH National Office Website.
4. Applicant must bring the duly approved application form and certificate of disability to the City or Municipal Social Welfare Office or NCDA for issuance of the identification card.

For inquiries and feedback about issues of PWDs, the NCDA may be reached through the following channels:

Telephone No: (632) 951-6033 and Fax No: (632) 951-5925

Email: council@ncda.gov.ph

Facebook: National Council on Disability Affairs

Source: Rappler’s Article

The PWD ID is not a prize

Remember that the PWD ID is not a prize. So, don’t be envious of the benefits and perks that come with it. They wish they didn’t have the disability attached to it.