PWD Federations Yield Progress

To pronounce status reports and plan the upcoming celebration of the Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) Month this July, the Provincial Federation for PWDs held their 2nd quarter meeting last April 15, 2016.

The event was attended by the different federation presidents/representatives from 30 towns all over the province.

“The activities for the PWD month celebration will include a parade, logo contest, skills demo, handicraft exhibit, and employment forum,”disclosed PWD Federation President Gladice Dublin.

However according to Myra K. Tansingco, Provincial PWD Focal Person, the exact date for the culminating activities of the PWD Month was not yet decided.

Status reports

Status reports on PWD organizations and updates of the PWD activities for this year were also discussed.

The City of Mandaue was reported to have the biggest number of federation members with 2,993 registered PWDs who are provided with a discount card valid in any establishment within the city.

Next to Mandaueis the Municipality of San Remigio with 1, 297 members and Talisay City’s 1, 263 PWDs.

Talisay City also conducted a fund-raising activity for children with cerebral palsy last year. While in Borbon, the local federation organizes a monthly feeding program for children with disabilities.

In Bantayan Island, they had already produced four PWD graduates from the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) course in Massage Therapy. All four are licensed massage therapists and have permanent jobs at Stable Hands Therapeutic Massage. More so, scholarships were also given to some of the indigent PWDs in the island.

Moreover, Bogo City’s PWD livelihood program continues improve due to their perfume making and T-shirt printing.

The municipalities of Carmen and San Francisco also reported that their baboyan and bigasan livelihood projects are still active and productive.

Meanwhile in Compostela, the local federation plans to give burial assistance and a birthday gift worth P250 to their 536 members.

However, representatives fromthe towns of Balamban, Asturias, and Alcantara admitted that their PWD federation is inactive.

Balamban has 600 registered PWDs, Asturias has 97, and Alcantara has 159 members.

“They must strive to keep their federation active. The focal person of every municipality must initiate strategies and monitor the organized barangays,”Tansingco said.

Despite the dormancy of the PWD federation of Alcantara, the town still expressed their gratitude to the Starkey Hearing Foundation for donating hearing aids to their five members.

Other towns that also delivered their status reports were Consolacion, Sogod, Medellin, Pinamungajan, Sibonga, Barili, Argao, Oslob, Alcoy, Ronda, Catmon, Tudela, Sta.Fe, and the cities of Carcar, Naga,Liloan, and Danao.

The said meeting was hosted by the Provincial Social Welfare Development Office and was held at the Capitol Social Hall. Renra Faith Sayon (with reports from Rizza Dibdib, CNU-English Literature Intern)

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