Davao city council approved an ordinance requiring tourism enterprises and government offices to effectively assist the needs of persons with disabilities, especially the deaf and mute.
Specifically, the ordinance requires tourism establishments to put up desk to assist the deft and the mute as one of their frontline services.
The ordinance entitled “An Ordinance Requiring Primary and Secondary Tourism Enterprises as well as Government Offices that Provide Frontline Services to Effectively Assist the Needs of Persons with Disabilities (PWDs)” was approved on Tuesday.
The ordinance mandates every Primary Tourism Enterprises (hotels, resort, self-styled accommodation establishment, pension house/inn, motorist hotels, travel agency, tour operator, tourist transport operator, ticketing company, tour guides and MICE facilities), Secondary Tourism Enterprises (restaurants, malls, shop, department store, sports and recreational facilities, ecotourism, health and wellness centers, museum, themed parks and marina) and government offices to provide an assistance desk for the deaf and mute.
According to Councilor Al Ryan Alejandre, chair of tourism and beautification, all tourism establishments covered by the ordinance must have at least one (1) employee or front-line staff should undergo training on how to effectively address the needs and communicate with the PWDs, particularly how to do sign languages, and thereafter, they will be issued with a certification of completion of the training.
“The private sector should not worry about the trainings because there is a funding for the PWDs in the city. The training will be conducted by the City Government through the Persons with Disabilities Affairs Office in cooperation with the City Tourism Office.”
He also added that this desk would be strengthened in the Davao airport, to assist deaf and mute passengers.
Non-compliance of the ordinance will cause the non-issuance or the revocation of the Mayor’s permit to their businesses or the cancellation of their licenses.
