Page 25 - Mainstreamer Volume 1, Issue 4, November 2023

SOCIETIES WORKING TOGETHER
The passage of RA 10070 meant that the national
government had taken measures to institutionalise
the Persons with Disability Affairs Office in the local
government by implementing CBID. It believes that
the public needs to be educated about PWD with
regard to dealing with every need of the sector
and how to devise ways of providing services that
are suitable to their needs. The office also needs
to concentrate more on its monitoring functions.
The Persons with Disability Affairs Office needs to
encourage the public to observe compliance with
RA 10524.
CBMS Orientation and Workshop conducted at
Valderrama Antique. (Image source: Fritz Enjhay O.
Cepe)
The Persons with Disability Affairs Office must
sustain database banking to link PWD-related
information provided by the focal person/s in
every municipality or city to the main databank
and regularly update it. This will allow the office
to generate perceptions, tendencies and trends
from the database. The office must sustain good
collaboration with various agencies and NGOs
to disseminate information regarding disability
laws clearly. Lastly, the office may conduct ocular
visits to localise the accessibility audits in the
municipalities or cities of the province.
This document encourages LGUs to take several
key actions to support PWD:
1. Create a Persons with Disability Affairs Office
(PDAO) and establish a Municipal Council
on Disability Affairs to provide technical
assistance, resources and capacity-building
for the PDAO, involving various stakeholders
and relevant agencies.
2. Encourage the submission of programme
proposals by PWD, granting them a say in
decision-making and autonomy in their
sector’s affairs.
3. Ensure that Municipal Halls are accessible
to PWD by providing features like ramps and
accessible restrooms, as per BP 344.
4. Empower PWD organisations and provide
them with sample project proposals for
guidance.
5. Maintain an updated master list of PWD for
data-driven project implementation and
budget allocation.
6. Document PWD who receive financial
assistance to track their local budget
allocation.
7. Develop a PDAO Citizen Charter and display
it prominently in the office to guide PWD in
conducting business with the office.
1Therefore, LGUs have the will to improve the
welfare of PWD, down to the grassroots through
the barangay level. It sends a message that the
government institutions in the Philippines treasure
and uphold the sanctity of the PWD’s place in their
society.
The author is an advocate and access auditor, as well
as a licensed environmental planner under the local
government unit of San Jose de Buenavista, Antique. His
interests include consulting work, coordinating, mentoring,
and computer engineering.
Vol. 01, Issue 4 | November 2023 24