Council: Issue parking stickers to city PWDs

BAGUIO CITY – The City Council urged the City Mayor’s Office through the Persons with Disability Affairs Office to issue car stickers to be used by persons with disabilities (PWDs) for parking in the city.
    Under resolution 706, series of 2023, councilors stated PWDs, like normal people also use cars to for their mobility in their daily activities and to transact businesses with government and private offices such as going to work, buying family essential needs, medical check-up, among others, thus, all PWDs who own vehicles should be provided or issued with their corresponding identification number by the local government through the PDAO.
    During the recent Senior Citizens Official for a Day (SCOFAD) session, the SCOFAD Council adapted the proposal of SCOFAD Councilor Estella M. Florendo urging he City Mayor’s Office through the PDAO to issue car stickers to be used by PWDs for parking their vehicles.
    The council said rights and privileges of PWDs are stipulated under Republic Act  9442 or the Magna Carta for Disabled persons and for other purposes and other special laws such as Batas Pambansa Bilang 344 or Accessibility Law for the welfare and protection of PWDs as they integrate themselves into society.
    Section 2 of Batas Pambansa Bilang 344 states in case of public conveyance, devices such as prominent display of posters or stickers shall be used to generate public awareness of the rights of the disabled and foster understanding of their special needs.
    The body said issuance of car stickers to PWDs owning motor vehicles will allow them to easily attend to their desired daily activities and transact business with government and private offices with ease because people managing parking areas in the city can recognize them and lead them to their designated parking slots for PWDs.
 

 Ilocos Norte bikers required to wear high-visibility vests at night

By Leilanie Adriano

LAOAG CITY – The Ilocos Norte police announced Wednesday that starting Dec. 16, all drivers and riders of motorcycles and bicycles will be required to wear high visibility vests when passing through the national highway and all provincial, city/municipal, and village roads within the province at night.
    This is under Provincial Ordinance No. 046-2023 passed by the Sangguniang Panlalawigan in July to minimize road accidents by ensuring visibility and road safety.
    "For now, motorists and their backriders are given until Dec. 16 to obtain their own reflectorized vests. Those who are unable to use reflectorized vests after Dec. 16 will be fined,” Col. Julius Suriben, provincial director of the Ilocos Norte Police Provincial Office, said in a media interview.

To ensure the strict implementation of the ordinance and avoid penalties for would-be violators, a massive information drive is ongoing in the province.

The ordinance, which also covers electric bicycles or e-bikes, tricycles, "kurong-kurong" (makeshift sidecar) and farm machinery, will be in force between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. daily and when visibility is poor due to bad weather.

The provincial administrator, in cooperation with the municipality and barangay local government units, will work together with the Philippine National Police and the Land Transportation Office to deputize apprehending officers.

The corresponding penalties for violators range from P500 to P1,500 for the first, second, and third offenses or its equivalent community service from three to seven days.

Data obtained from the Ilocos Norte police showed a total of 222 road mishaps from Jan. 1 to Dec. 6 this year.

Suriben said most of the accidents were caused by “human error” such as miscalculation, reckless driving, driving under the influence of liquor, over-speeding, and overtaking.

While making an effort to strengthen the ethics and education of drivers, the Ilocos Norte police hope that there will be fewer vehicular traffic incidents after the ordinance is fully implemented.

As of this posting, many tricycle drivers are already seen wearing high-visibility vests along the national highway. -- PNA