ILOILO CITY — Persons with disabilities (PWDs) are now assured of an office that will look into their welfare after the Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) approved an ordinance creating the Persons with Disability Affairs Office on Tuesday.
Councilor R Leone N. Gerochi, author of the ordinance, said the previous office was created through an Executive Order but this time it will already be a permanent office manned by permanent personnel.
“Our persons with disability is one of the most under represented sectors. We want them to have an office at the city hall. We want them to have access to services. It is through this office that it will be realized,” he explained.
He said that there are a lot of PWDs in the city but the exact number could not yet be ascertained. He said that one of the priorities of the office is to come up with a database of PWDs in the city so they would know whom to target in case of programs or projects intended for them.
Meantime, the passage of the ordinance is very timely as the city government also kicked off on Tuesday the distribution of the PHP500 social pension for some 2,000 PWDs in the city.
The beneficiaries were chosen through a validation conducted by the City Social Welfare and Development Office.
Mark Espesor, president of the Federation of Persons with Disability Association in Iloilo City, said the assistance program is beneficial to indigent PWDs.
However, he looks forward for the city government to also develop a livelihood project for them so they would not solely rely on social pension.
Through this livelihood program, PWDs can make different handicrafts that they can use to earn more.
Officer-In-Charge of Persons with Disability Affairs Office, Ms. Blesilda Mabilog added that through the PDAO they also offered educational assistance for PWD’s to finish their studies and find work with high compensation.
Espesor added that beneficiaries should widen their perspectives and strive more in order to earn on their own. ( Perla Lena with reports from Caihra Santillan and Rosilfa Andrea Mallada, WVSU-OJTs/PNA)
