December 14, 2014
By ARTHUR L. ALLAD-IW
www.nordis.net
www.nordis.net
BAGUIO CITY — While celebrating the International Day of Persons with Disabilities through a colorful parade on Monday, PWDs in this city called for the establishment of a law-mandated affairs office here.
Leaders of the PWD Federation on their wheel chairs lead the parade on December 8. Photo by Arthur L. Allad-iw
Antonio Damasco, afflicted by an ortho-related disability, said that the federation is laying down the criteria for the appropriate PWD who would be endorsed for the said office.
“The federation, in coordination with government offices, had a meeting on December 3 and among the PWDs representing their organizations are presently preparing for the criteria,” Damasco said in an interview.
The city’s office of the DSWD showed that there are 1,375 PWDs on its list. A 2011 data from the regional office of the DSWD showed that there 6,781 listed PWDs in the Cordillera. Excluded are those who failed to enlist themselves in this office. According to a census of the National Statistic Office, PWDs make up around 1.23 percent of the national population.
PWDs based in this city claimed that they suffer from double marginalization: facing their particular issues as PWDs and as consequences of being poor and marginalized.
Among their main concerns are problems on the education of special children, rehabilitation, accessibility to livelihood, and housing.
“This is aside from the everyday discrimination they encounter from “abled” persons,” said Daniel Padilan, who was amputated above both knees and now uses a wheel chair to facilitate his mobility.
Aside from the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and RA 10070, various Philippine laws mandate respect for the rights of PWDs, such as the following:
Batasang Pambansa 344 requires buildings, institutions, establishments, and other public utilities to install facilities and other devices for PWDs.
Republic Act 7229 or the Magna Carta on the Rights of Person with Disabilities mandates the rehabilitation, self-development and self-reliance of disabled persons and their integration into the mainstream of society. Even their political rights, like the right to vote, and civil rights are assured by this law.
RA 9442 mandates the 20 percent discount. It also calls for educational assistance and special commodities discount, and criminalizes public ridicule and vilification of PWDs.
These laws must be strictly observed by government for their realization, added a parent of a PWD. “
“But establishing a PDAO would help the local government in rendering services to the PWDs,” said Damasco.
The annual International Day of Persons with Disabilities started on December 3, 2007 and every year thereafter through the United Nations General Assembly Resolution 62/127. #
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