More than a thousand persons with disabilities from different cities of Metro Manila and nearby provinces gathered in a summit intended to address their concerns. The summit, convening the largest number of persons with disabilities for the first time, was held at the Tahanang Walang Hagdan in Cainta, Rizal on September 17.
“Bilang guro at aktibistang nananalig at nagtitiwala sa masa, mahalaga ang matuto sa mga pagtitipong tulad nito sapagkat kung mayroon mang may tunay na nakakaalam sa kalagayan ng mga may kapansanan, walang iba kundi kayo [As a teacher and an activist who believes and trust the masses, it is important to learn from gatherings like this because if there is somebody who truly knows the situation of persons with disabilities, it is no one else but you],” said Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Judy Taguiwalo addressing the summit participants.
The Secretary said that the government’s program, particularly persons with disabilities, is striving to address the concerns of the disabled.
She ran down the government facilities under the DSWD for the persons with disabilities including two residential facilities for disabled children, the Elsie Gaches Village in Muntinlupa and the Accelerating Minor’s Opportunity for Recovery Village, also known as Amor Village in Tarlac. There are also centers that train and provide livelihood opportunities for the disabled, such as the Rehabilitation Sheltered Workshop (RSW) and National Vocational Rehabilitation Center (NVRC) in Quezon City, and the Center for the Handicapped in Cotabato City.
However, Sec. Taguiwalo admitted that DSWD centers and schools for persons with disabilities are very limited.
Persons with disabilities agenda
The newly formed Liga ng May Kapansanan, an alliance of different persons with disabilities organizations, presented a persons with disabilities agenda to Sec. Taguiwalo on the concerns of the disabled.
On top of their agenda are adequate livelihood, living wage, social services like housing, education, health, and burial and better public utilities like transportation that are persons with disabilities-friendly.
Included also in their agenda are the advancement of the rights of the disabled, programs against discrimination, enforcement of available laws that would benefit persons with disabilities, and establishment of a hotline for persons with disabilities concerns.
While these can be mostly considered stop-gap solutions, persons with disabilities centers and the 4Ps program of the DSWD cannot address poverty from which most Filipinos suffer. Persons with disabilities have had lesser opportunities for education, work or livelihood. Foremost, Sec. Judy Taguiwalo said she believes that the country requires land for the tillers, national industrialization, jobs, and economic development that would address the needs of the people.
Renewed hope
“After 40 years in this struggle for the rights of persons with disabilities, we are once again hopeful with the new government that it will provide programs that will deal with persons with disabilities issues,” said Miguel Catain, the 68-year old blind President of the Liga ng may Kapansanan.
According to Cesar Dionido, Executive Director of Community Response for Enlightenment, Service and Tranformation, Inc. (CREST), for the longest time, civil-society organizations filled-in the wide gap between persons with disabilities and the government.
“Now that the government agencies like the DSWD, Department of Labor (DOLE), and National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC) are very accommodating, persons with disabilities have a renewed hope and vigor to again engage the government with their concerns,” said Dionido.
Sec. Taguiwalo said that the conditions are favorable for persons with disabilities because there is a president who is concerned with the masses and has the courage to face the problems that cause the people’s poverty.
“Susuporta kami sa abot ng aming makakaya at ng rekurso pero ang magtitiyak ng tuluy-tuloy na pagbabago ay ang inyong pagkakaisa [We will support in every way that we can and with the available resources, but it is with your unity that we can assure that change will come],” she said.
