The Persons with Disabilities Affairs Office (PDAO) said that some eighty percent of the city’s one hundred twenty-eight barangays were able to establish their respective PWD desks to cater to the needs of PWDs in their respective areas of jurisdiction.
PDAO officer Samuel Aquino reported that the local government is closely working with the other barangays for the establishment of their PWD desk to advance the interests of PWDs at the grassroots level.
Ordinance No. 47, series of 2017 mandated all barangays in the city to establish and maintain a PWD desk and create a PWD committee in their respective jurisdiction.
The PWD committee will be included as part of the barangay committee system and shall form part of the barangay committee on women and family.
The PWD desk shall be manned by a barangay official, a volunteer or a PWD and shall function as the receiving section and action center on all issues and concerns related to PWDs in the barangays.
The PDAO official claimed that barangays are receptive to the establishment of a PWD desk in their areas but some have difficulty in determining the right people to be appointed to administer and manage the said desk to be able to cater to the needs of PWDs seeking assistance.
He expressed his gratitude to the various barangay officials for their unwavering support in their ongoing efforts to establish the PWD desk to address the issues and concerns on the welfare of PWDs.
He stipulated that the primary effort to establish the PWD desk in the different barangays is to advance the welfare of the members of the vulnerable and marginalized sectors for them to become productive citizens of the city.