PWDs rise to 2,400 in Mt Prov; mental illnesses 3rd

By Gina Dizon

BONTOC, Mountain Province – This province has registered 2,400 persons with disabilities and occupational impairments with mental deficiency ranking third.

Other PWDs apart from the 2400 are not registered with government.

This was known during commemoration of the 41st National Disability Prevention and Rehabilitation Week here themed “Local na pamahalaan: Kabalikat sa pagtupad ng karapatan ng mga taong may kapansanan.”

Visually-impaired Marcelo Daweg, guest speaker urged PWDs to organize themselves and demand for their rights through organized and collective efforts.

Daweg is a community organizer and an advocate of human rights.

The event held here July 23 here headed by the Persons with Disability Affairs Office (PDAO) generated concerns from PWDs and caregivers.

These included building of a PWD center to house PWDs in distress much as there is no particular infrastructure to cater specially for them especially mentally depressed patients.

Along with this is the employment of medical staff including therapists/doctors who shall specially cater to the medical needs of PWDs. 

Medical attention to address mental health, sight, hearing, and speech impairments were also pushed.

High therapy costs hinder the consultation and medical assistance of PWDs to places where the assistance is found such as in Baguio City and Manila.

For mental cases, Mountain Province has Luis Hora Memorial Regional Hospital with a psychiatrist based at Baguio General Hospital who visits weekly mental patients at Luis Hora.

The need for a psychiatrist and neurologist was also aired who shall attend to the needs of mental patients in the Province at the capital town in Bontoc where travel and less expense is favorable for PWDs especially those who come from Besao, Sagada, Sadanga, Bontoc, Barlig, Natonin and Paracelis. Though Paracelis and Natonin may have some nearer psychiatric services at nearby Santiago, Isabela.

Financial assistance is needed to augment expenses for therapy costs including transportation and therapy fees of a psychiatrist, neurologist and other needed therapists to be deployed in general and district hospitals in the Province or at least here at the capital town of Bontoc on a regular arrangement.

Medical assistance including assistive devices came up as one concern.

Another issue was the need for livelihood skills development.

This in furtherance to RA 7277 also known as the Magna Carta for Disabled Persons which states the rehabilitation of the disabled persons shall be the concerns of the Government in order to foster their capacity to attain a more meaningful, productive and satisfying life.

As defined by RA 7277 or an Act providing for the rehabilitation, self-development and self-reliance of disabled persons and their integration in society, PWDs cover ‘disabled persons suffering from restriction or different abilities, as a result of a mental, physical or sensory impairment, to perform an activity in the manner or within the range considered normal for a human being.  Impairment is any loss, diminution or aberration of psychological, physiological, or anatomical structure or function.

Local government units are mandated by law to have a municipal officer to handle concerns on persons with disabilities.

Republic Act No. 10070 or the Act establishing institutional mechanisms to ensure the implementation of programs and services for persons with disabilities in every province, city and municipality, amends Republic Act No. 7277, otherwise known as the Magna Carta for Disabled Persons.

Said law provides that national agencies and local government units promote the establishment of organizations of PWDs in their respective territorial jurisdictions.

National agencies and local government units may enter into joint ventures with organizations or associations of PWDs to explore livelihood opportunities and other undertakings that shall enhance the health, physical fitness and the economic and social well-being of PWDs.

Particularly, RA 10070 provides that Local government units shall organize and establish PDAO and that the PDAO shall be created in every province, city and municipality.  The local chief executive shall appoint a PWD affairs officer who shall manage and oversee the operations of the office, pursuant to its mandate under this Act. The said office shall formulate and implement policies, plans and programs for the promotion of the welfare of PWDs in coordination with concerned national and local government agencies.

During said NDPR Week celebration, home visitations to PWDs were done by physical therapists group from the local government unit of Santiago City, Isabela and the Philippine Therapists Registered in the Philippines (PTRP) organized by Maria Codeo, PDAO-Mountain Province focal person.