Disability prevention, rehab week set
Persons with disabilities in Iloilo along with the government and private sectors will jointly mark the 32nd celebration of the National Disability Prevention and Rehabilitation Week in the city and province of Iloilo on July 17 to 23.
The Iloilo City and Iloilo Provincial Federations of Differently-Abled Persons in coordination with the Regional Council for Disability Affairs in Western Visayas have lined up various activities for the celebration, a report of the Philippine Information Agency said.
A mass at the Jaro Plaza on July 17 will kick-off the event. This will be followed by a medical and dental mission for indigent PWDs at the Association of Disabled Persons-Iloilo Inc. office at Jaro Plaza on July 18.
On July 19, a monitoring on the compliance of Accessibility Law or Batas Pambansa Blg. 344 will be conducted in some establishments in Iloilo City, followed by the opening of a photo exhibit at the SM City Iloilo Activity Center in the afternoon.
On July 20 to 21, PWDs will hold a sportsfest at the Iloilo Sports Complex while on July 22, they will showcase their talents through a presentation entitled “Awakening” at SM City Iloilo Activity Center.
A tree-planting activity will be held at Boardwalk in Mandurriao on July 23, 6 a.m., to be participated in by the PWDs, RCDA member agencies and non-government organizations. This will be followed by a Forum on Accessibility at the Iloilo Provincial Capitol.
In the afternoon, a program will cap the week-long event that primarily aims to stimulate public awareness on disability problems and concerns particularly on issues on disability prevention, rehabilitation and equalization of opportunities for PWDs. Highlighting the activity is the distribution of 12 wheelchairs to identified indigent PWDs from the province of Iloilo.
July 23 is also the birthdate of Apolinario Mabini, known as the “Sublime Paralytic” of the country.
Concerned agencies were also encouraged to hang streamers highlighting the celebration and its theme “Sa Istrukturang Accessible, Lahat ay Able.”
