By Mary Judaline Partlow/PNA
DUMAGUETE CITY – The city government and the Diocese of Dumaguete, through its Commission on PWDs, have agreed to collaborate and come up with activities to further empower Persons With Disabilities (PWDs) here.
Fr. Christian Benjamin, who heads the commission, disclosed Monday that this developed after he and Dumaguete Mayor Felipe Antonio Remollo discussed in an earlier meeting how to address the issues and concerns of this particular sector.
“Nahisgutan atol sa among pag istorya ni mayor kung unsay pwedeng himoon ang siyudad aron mahatagan ug dugang pagtagad ang mga PWD (It was discussed during our talk with the mayor what the city can do to give more attention to the PWDs),” he said.
Following that meeting, the first PWD Sports Festival was held over the weekend in this capital, participated in by more than 200 individuals with different disabilities.
The differently-abled included the blind, the deaf, those with Down’s syndrome, and those with orthopedic impairments.
The priest said it was a huge success as it brought the PWDs to a higher level of empowerment but more needs to be done to attend to their needs.
The most popular among the activities and sporting events on Saturday was the zumba dance workout, where even the blind people joined although they were “going in different directions,” he added.
“Hasta pod ang mga Down Syndrome ang zumba ang ilang gipili (Even those with Down’s syndrome chose zumba),” Fr. Benjamin noted.
Leading the group was Crispin Patrimonio, barangay chair of Bajumpandan, who also heads the PWD federation in Dumaguete.
“Pinoy Games” were also incorporated in the sports fest, which will hopefully be repeated soon and with bigger participation, Fr. Benjamin said.
In the meantime, he said he is hopeful that Councilor Lilani Ramon would follow through her promise to push for an ordinance that will further strengthen the efforts to empower PWDs in the city.
“Kinahanglang pa gyud ug bonding ang mga PWDs kay katag man sa province of Negros Oriental ug sa city (There is still a need for bonding among PWDs in the province of Negros Oriental and in the city),” he said.
The City Social Welfare and Development Office of Dumaguete and the City Sports Office, headed by the city sports coordinator Ike Villaflores, led the PWD sports fest with the Dumaguete City government and the mayor allocating funds for food and prizes.
