By Dominic B. dela Cruz
Staff Reporter
Laoag City—A
city councilor here sponsored a resolution calling for the creation of Persons with
Disabilities Affairs Office (PDAO) with its corresponding personnel.
Laoag councilor Roque Benjamin Ablan, the resolution’s
sponsor, said the measure aims to promote the social justice in all phases of
national development as mandated by the 1987 Philippine Constitution in the
Declaration of Principles and State Policies.
Under Article 13 of the same Constitution includes
disabled persons as one of the priority sectors to be given access to essential
goods and services at affordable cost and further provides that the State shall
establish a special agency for disabled persons for their rehabilitation,
self-deployment and self-reliance and their integration into the mainstream of
the society.
Section 16 of RA No. 7160 otherwise known as the Local
Government Code of 1991 also states that “Government units shall ensure and
support among other things, the preservation and enrichment of culture, promote
health and safety, enhance economic prosperity and social justice, promote full
employment among their residents, maintain peace and order and preserve the
comfort and convenience of the inhabitants”.
On April 6, 2010, RA No. 10070 was approved ensuring the
policies, programs and services for PDWs to be implemented at the local level
for them to fully participate in building an exclusive society through the
establishment of PDAO in all provinces, cities and municipalities.
Mr. Ablan said the measure is in support with the
Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Memorandum Order No.
2017-119 issued last September 13, 2017 regarding the Guidelines for the
establishment of PDAO.
Relative to this, PDAO will sustain and will continuously
carry out the task in monitoring, evaluation, data gathering, needs assessment,
planning, establishment of production center, creation of job opportunities and
advocacy in all cities and municipalities as the case maybe.
To carry out its mandate, the PDAO shall exercise its
powers and functions such as to formulate and implement policies and programs
for the promotion of the welfare of PWDs in coordination with concerned
national government agencies particularly the National Council for Disability
Affairs (NCDA) and local government offices.
The positions include the disability affairs officer I,
II and a disability affairs assistant.
Mr. Ablan however, said that the proposed ordinance
depends on the availability of fund for appropriation.
Salaries and wages of personnel and MOOE of PDAO shall be
drawn from the General Fund of the city.
For the succeeding years of implementation, the PDAO
funding shall be included in the City’s Annual Plans and Budget.
Relative to this, the CSWDO record shows that the city
government gives financial assistance to PWDs, gives assistive devices like
wheel chairs prosthesis and referrals to other institutions.
The city government has also established and created the
Stimulation Therapeutic Activity Center (STAC) giving free rehabilitation to 0
to 14 years old PWDs and free physical therapy catering the entire province of
Ilocos Norte.
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