Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio is lauded for initiating the creation of the Davao City Special Needs Intervention Center for Children, which aims to provide hope for parents who have children with special needs.
In a statement, former Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo praised Mayor Sara for the project.
Panelo, who is running for a Senate seat under Hugpong ng Pagbabago (HNP), had a son with down syndrome who died in his sleep in January 2017. He said the Philippines has more than five million children with special needs.
“Kailangan ang gobyerno ay ma-obliga na magbigay ng special education sa kanila, ng libreng rehabilitation, at magtayo ng mga care facilities upang kung mamatay ang kanilang mga magulang, merong gobyernong mag-aalaga sa mga special children,” it said.
Panelo said that if he is elected senator in May, he will revisit and ensure full implementation of the Magna Carta for Disabled Persons under Republic Act 7277.
The city government of Davao is now building a P70-million facility that will offer medical care for children with special needs. The construction was expected to start in 2020 but was delayed because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The facility will offer an early intervention and transition program, and allied medical services including occupational, physical, and speech therapy.
Councilor Antionette Principe-Castrodes, the chairperson of the committee on ethics and good government, said via the Davao City Disaster Radio (DCDR), the project was initially budgeted at P40 million but the city government of Davao increased the funding for the special design features that will offer more comfort and safety for the children.
