MP PWDs press for PWD Center, social pension

By Gina Dizon

BONTOC, Mountain Province — A multi-function center for persons with disabilities (PWD) is envisioned to be built in this capital town to render care for PWDs and serve as skills training and display center for products made by PWDs.

A PWD stakeholders forum attended by PWDs, social welfare officers and concerned government agencies forwarded issues and concerns of PWDs held here including a PWD Center, social pension for PWDs and a PWD office in local government units.

                Organized by the Persons with Disability Affairs Office (PDAO), Provincial PDAO focal person  Maria Codeo said the activity was intended to bring the concerns of PWDs to concerned government offices for their  attention and response.

                The creation of a municipal disability affairs office was raised in accordance with Republic Act 10070 stating “PDAO shall be created in every province, city and municipality.  RA 10070 provides measures on “establishing institutional mechanism  to ensure the implementation of programs and services for persons with disabilities in every province, city and municipality.”

                Lourdes Claire Piel of the Dept. of Interior and Local Government  and speaker on said event said the implementing rules of  RA 10070 mandates  all provinces, cities and municipalities with an income class of 1st class to 3rd class  to establish a PDAO; and 4rth to 6th class municipalities and provinces for the mayor to designate or appoint a focal person to perform functions of said PDAO.

                Implementing rules enacted in 2016 was emphasized for implementation in DILG’s memorandum circular 2017-119 directed to local chief executives of LGUs.

The need for a social pension for PWDs was also raised on the legislation of a law to specially provide a certain amount for PWDs similar to what senior citizens receive monthly.   

                The province has some 2,000 plus  PWDs based from the records of the Provincial PDAO gathered in ocular visitations in the ten municipalities of the Province.

                Social welfare officer Anchita Ewan of Besao municipal social welfare development  reminded the participants of the Philippine Registry of PWDs under the program of the Department of Health (DOH) for accredited PWDS to avail of services from the government.

                The need for the conduct of a medical assessment among PWDs was raised where they specially asked DOH to conduct assessment of PWDs in the Province.  

DOH in their website advise that PWDs with non-obvious disabilities such as psychosocial, learning, mental/intellectual, visual and hearing disabilities should secure a certification from  DOH through its regional hospitals, medical centers, and specialty hospitals attesting to the individual’s impairment.

Medically assessed PWDs stand as a crucial need following a previous ocular assessment  by the  Provincial PDAO among 2,294  PWDS  who suffer from  orthopedic disabilities numbering the highest  followed by speech disability. Third is mental disability followed by multiple disability, learning disability and intellectual disability.

From the PDAO survey, 7 out of 10 municipalities numbered the highest orthopedic issues. Sadanga and Natonin  numbered the highest mental cases though other municipalities identified an alarming number of mental disability cases as well. Communication deficiencies as to speech impairment was a crucial finding in almost all of the ten municipalities.

In said forum, PWDs other concerns ranged from medical and therapeutic attention, psychological to psychiatric care, need for assistive devices, skills training for PWDs to trainings for caregivers on handling PWDs.

One crucial concern brought out is the need for a psychiatrist and neurologist who shall regularly be deployed at the Provincial Bontoc General Hospital to attend to mentally  challenged  PWDS

 at least on a monthly basis.

The DOH was especially cited to help out in the programming and budgeting on the availability of  psychiatrists and neurologists to be deployed at BGH in a monthly basis. The deployment of a psychiatrist at  Bontoc General Hospital was forwarded to let patients from Bontoc, Sadanga, Sagada and Besao and  Barlig have nearer access to the hospital.

The municipalities of Natonin and Paracelis are closer to mental health facilities of  Isabela.

Luis Hora Regional Memorial Hospital has already a psychiatrist from Baguio General Hospital Psychiatric Department who is deployed at LHMRH on a monthly basis. Patients come from  nearby Tadian, Bauko, Sabangan, Cervantes, Ilocos Sur and other places of the Province .     

Assistive devices was also forwarded as a need with the construction of  ramps for  PWDs in public  buildings including  town halls and government offices and commercial centers.

In accordance with  BP 344, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) was especially identified to help in the  programming, budgeting and construction of structural devices to facilitate mobility of PWDs.  

Conduct of trainings was forwarded especially among caregivers of PWDs caring for PWDs and dealing with stress and depression.   

RA 10524 and the UN Convention on the Rights of PWDs refer to PWDs as individuals who suffer long-term physical, mental or sensory impairments.