The Commission on elections (Comelec) and the Persons with Disability Affairs Office (PDAO) will be scheduling an exclusive offsite registration for PWDs at the city hall lobby on Tuesday, July 30, 2024 to cater to the registration needs of the vulnerable sector.
PDAO head Dr. Samuel Aquino called on PWDs who are not yet registered voters in the city or those wanting to reactivate their status or transfer their registration to other places to avail of the scheduled exclusive offsite registration for them to ascertain their status as registered voters.
He expressed his gratitude to the Comelec Baguio office for providing the schedule for the offsite registration for PWDs as it will definitely help a lot in easing the burden of PWDs in having to register as voters.
The PDAO head claimed that the 8,200 PWDs in the city who were issued the PWD identification cards does not actually tally with the number of PWDs who are registered voters.
Aquino appealed to PWDs who have not updated their Comelec records to avail of the offsite registration to provide the necessary information to the poll body so that their existing records will be updated to reclassify their status and for them to be able to avail of the benefits and privileges that will be afforded the PWDs during the conduct of the May 12, 2025 midterm elections.
He asserted the need for the local government to establish a database of PWDs that will serve as a basis in the provision of whatever needed assistance and services to the members of the vulnerable sector and for whatever purpose in the future.
The conduct of the offsite registration for PWDs is part of the activities that was lined up by the PDAO for the celebration of the National Disability Rights Week from July 16-23, 2024 pursuant to Proclamation No. 597 issued by President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. declaring the said period as the NDR Week in the country. By Dexter A. See
