DSWD6 to LGUs: Give focus to PWDs
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Field Office VI is urging Local Government Units (LGUs) here in Western Visayas to give priority to services for the Persons With Disabilities (PWDs) sector in the planning and budgeting in their locality.
“It was observed that less support and funding is provided to the PWD programs and projects by majority of the LGUs. Hence, we gave priority to focus this last quarter’s SWD Forum on PWDs,” said Assistant Regional Joel P. Galicia of the DSWD Region 6 in his message during a Social Welfare and Development (SWD) Forum held on Thursday, November 12, 2009, at Punta Villa, Arevalo, Iloilo City
The forum is the second conducted this year with the theme, “Advocating the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: a must.”
“There is still a need to advocate and intensify the implementation of some social welfare laws and policies at the local level especially on women and Persons with Disability Sectors. While most of the LGUs focus more on children, youth and senior citizens, we need also to give our attention and support to programs, projects for PWD organizations to enable the disabled to overcome physical barriers,” said Galicia.
According to DSWD-Technical Assistance Division (TAD) Chief Rebecca Geamala, only few LGUs can be mentioned that have best practices in implementation of programs for PWDs. Among these include:
New Lucena in Iloilo which implements the Non-Handicapping Environment Project;
Dumangas, Iloilo which implements TAMPAD, which is giving of chips to PWDs for free transportation;
San Jose, Antique, which implements the Community Based Rehabilitation Program;
Pandan, Antique which has a handicraft business for PWDs; and
Iloilo which has the Association of Disabled Persons Incorporated that manufactures chairs and has other livelihood projects.
Based on NSO Census, Persons with Disabilities in Aklan total to 6,137; Antique, 8,007; Capiz, 8,658; Guimaras, 2,737; Iloilo , 22,546; Negros Occidental, 26,618; Iloilo City , 6,334; and Bacolod City , 6,482.
“We have to fight poverty with passion by helping people help themselves. We eschewed dole outs because we believe our people long to participate in their own development as we also believe that PWDs is an asset that could contribute to our country’s development. We are few but if we continue to work hard and do our best and proactively do our share in serving the poor, we shall be more than enough in our battle against poverty and social inequity,” stressed Galicia .
