LUNA, Apayao – With the youth as the next generation of workforce, a special activity to encourage their participation in creating a sustainable future where no one is left behind was conducted at ECBJr Evacuation Center & Multi-purpose Building, San Isidro Sur Luna Apayao.
About 70 youngsters with and without disability participated in the 45th National Disability Prevention and Rehabilitation Week (NDPR) activity held last November 16, 2023 to inspire them to be more accepting of the challenges others face.
The provincial government fully supports efforts to enhance its residents’ overall well-being and assimilation into society at large.
It believes its young people must actively be involved, whether or not they have a disability, and be provided support for their own development as well as the development of their communities and society.
The event focused on building a more accepting society in which individuals with disabilities are allowed to freely engage in all facets of society.
Along with anti-terrorism and anti-illegal drug campaigns, the initiative included an information and education campaign on partner agencies’ positions on sexually transmitted infections and early teenage pregnancy prevention, as well as traffic laws and road safety.
Chief of Staff Verlimae Baldovino, in her talk, urged the youth to embrace differences and recognize their potential to motivate one another, so that they will never forget that they are what make them strong.
Baldovino took the life of the great musician Ludwig van Beethoven as an example of one with disability having lost his hearing but still became one of the pillars of music, concluding “So together let us stand united in our commitment to building an inclusive community among yApayao youth where everyone is valued, respected and given the opportunity to be successful.”
The National Disability Prevention and Rehabilitation Week is intended to raise public awareness on disability prevention. By K Castillo
