The Alyansang Persons with Disability Office (PDAO) is pushing for the establishment of a PWD office to address the concerns and benefits of all PWDs in Davao City.
Lawyer Rani Leonar, convenor of PDAO, said not only that it will address concerns and challenges that the PWDs are facing but it is also mandated by law.
He is referring to Republic Act (RA) No. 7277 otherwise known as the “Magna Carta for Disabled Persons” as amended by RA No. 10070 or an Act Establishing an Institutional Mechanism to Ensure the Implementation of Programs and Services for Persons with Disabilities” that directs local government units (LGUs) to establish each and administer their own PDAO.
“The PDAO office will streamline the help and other benefits to all PWDs in Davao City, dili lang kadtong ortho, dili lang kadtong naka-wheelchair but tanan including kadtong naay cases of autism, kinahanglan gyud suportahan ang mga parents, kadtong dunay down syndrome. Atung gina-encourage nga muparehistro aron maisyuhan ug ID,” Leonar said during the AFP-PNP Press Corps media briefing on Wednesday.
Leonar said in Davao City there are only 20,000 registered PWDs with card-bearing IDs.
“As of 2018, there is a law passed that all PWDs nationwide are covered by PhilHealth. If you get an ID as a PWD, you will be given a PhilHealth ID number,” he said.
Based on the standards of the United Nations (UN) there are six types of PWDs: orthopedic disability (polio, amputees, hunch back), visual disability, communications disability (deaf-mute and hare lip), learning disability (down syndrome and ADHD), psychosocial disability (insane, bipolar, illnesses), and intellectual disability (autism, seizures, and cerebral palsy).
“Hopefully, ma-streamline nato ang tabang ug mga benepisyo sa mga PWDs sa Davao City dili lang kadtong naka-wheelchair but tanan including kadtong naay cases of autism, kinahanglan gyud suportahan ang mga parents, kadtong dunay down syndrome. Atung gina-encourage nga muparehistro aron maisyuhan ug ID,” Leonar said.
The PWD sector is presently lobbying Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte to support the establishment of PDAO and it is the group’s fervent hope that it will be made as a division or department under the City Mayor’s Office and will be composed of appointed employees who are themselves PWDs from the different sectors.
The group is also pushing for 24 plantilla positions for the office of PDAO.
Congressman Paolo Duterte, then acting city mayor of Davao City, issued Executive Order No. 34 Series of 2014 or an “Order Creating the Interim Persons With Disability Affairs Office (PDAO), Defining Its functions and For Other Purposes” that aim to address the priority concerns of PWDs in the city that include among other undertakings that shall enhance the health, physical fitness, and the economic and social well-being of PWDs. This was also in preparation for the passing of the said city ordinance.
The Committee on Government Reorganization through Councilor Alberto Ungab and Councilor Pilar Braga proposed the PDAO ordinance and already conducted committee hearings at the City Council.
“Kani (ordinance) among ginahandum na masayo ug taud kay ubay ubay na ang pag-antos sa PWD sa Davao,” Leonar said.
