MANKAYAN, Benguet– The local government will pursue the conduct of an inventory on the number of persons with disabilities (PWDs) in the town’s twelve barangays so that the data that will be gathered will serve as a guide to policy makers and decision makers to plan out the programs, projects and interventions that could be implemented to uplift their welfare.
Mayor Materno Luspian claimed that initially, there were around 250 PWDs who were able to actively participate in the first-ever PWD Congress that was recently conducted by the local government purposely to gather their inputs on what are their needs that could be afforded by the concerned government agencies and the municipality.
“We want to empower our persons with disabilities so that they will become active members of their communities and be part of the day to day activities geared towards improving the present situation of their places. We want them to be our partners in development and we want to tap their skills and knowledge for the overall growth and development of our municipality,” Luspian stressed.
However, the local chief executive explained that the inventory of the other marginalized sectors in the town will also be one of the priorities of the local government that is why questions on why did the municipality prioritize the PWDs should not be an issue that will be raised.
He added that the senior citizens, barangay health workers, day care workers, women among other basic sectors of society will also be given similar interventions by the local government for them to be able to advance the issues that affect their sectors for the appropriate actions by concerned government agencies and the local government.
Among the activities that were provided by the local government to the PWDs aside from the conduct of the first-ever PWD Congress include their participation in different sports events, skills trainings and seminars that intend to promote their overall welfare.
According to him, some of the PWDs that have been representing Mankayan in various sports competitions also represented Benguet in different regional and national sports competitions and that they were able to bring honor and pride not only to the municipality but also Benguet and the Cordillera Administrative Region.
Luspian called on residents who were not able to register the PWD members of their families to visit the municipal social welfare and development office for them to avail of the prescribed registration for them to be included in the database that will allow them to receive whatever benefits that will be provided them by concerned government agencies and the local government.
Luspian asserted the adherence of his administration to the famous lines of former President Ramon Magsaysay that those who have less in life should have more in law for them to be able to sustain their being part of the mainstream society.
Luspian is a 5-term municipal mayor of Mankayan and the first-ever 2-term president of the Leagues of Municipalities (LMP) Benguet chapter and that he is setting his sights on the province’s congressional post which will be vacated by 5-term Rep. Ronald M. Cosalan.
By HENT
