Around 300 persons with disabilities from various districts in Davao City availed of services by local and national government agencies, during the health and wellness caravan spearheaded by the City Social Welfare and Development Office and its partners at SM Ecoland, as part of the culmination
of the 45th National Disability Prevention and Rehabilitation Week.
The caravan was attended by such stakeholders as the Department of Health, Philhealth, UCCP Social Concerns, Tebow Cure Children’s Hospital,
City Health Office, Rotary Club of Waling-Waling Davao, Euro Asia Emil’s Early Child Development and Parents Mobilization Action Group.
CSWDO Officer-In-Charge Julie P. Dayaday, in an interview with the City Information Office, bared that the event is part of the 45th NDPR, which seeks to give attention to, and highlight PWDs.
“Pamaagi ni siya sa atong pagpromote nga ang PWD naa gyud siya’y importansya sa atoang nation building. So kini nga celebration will remind all Filipinos nga kinahanglan nato sila hatagan og pagtagad ug kinahanglan sila hatagan og value (This is a way to promote PWDs, that they are important in nation building. So this
celebration is to remind all Filipinos that we need to give them attention and value),” Dayaday said.
She said that this is the first caravan conducted in relation to the NDPR week after the pandemic and they are pushing similar caravans, in
partnership with National Government Agencies (NGA) and the private sector, will be done quarterly.
The highlight of the health and wellness caravan is the message of commitment of various stakeholders to promote the welfare of PWDs.
Dayaday said that under the ordinance offering free cinema weekly to PWDs, about 10 cinemas already expressed their commitment to its implementation. During the
health caravan activity, it was revealed by CSWDO that the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement with all cinema operators in the city and the signing of the Executive Order for the Implementing Rules and Regulations of the ordinance are among the things that still need to be done before the ordinance can be implemented.
Dayaday, however, said that they will make the public announcement when everything is already ready to be implemented.
Meanwhile, the CSWDO is also eyeing the hiring of professionals, doctors, and interpreters to be stationed under the new Person with Disability Division of the CSWDO, which was created through an ordinance
approved last May 2023. This division will provide technical assistance to PWD, will promote the accessibility law, and will ensure that PWDs can avail of services from the government and the private sector. CIO
