BAGUIO CITY – Members of the persons with disability (PWD) sector in the city urged concerned government agencies, the city government and the private sector to incorporate the issues and concerns of people with mental health conditions in the planning, designing and implementation of programs, projects and interventions to ensure a safer and accessible public transportation.
This matter was raised by the parents and guardians of individuals having mental health issues during the Symposium on Public Transport at Policies for PWDs held last Monday at the function room of the City Health Services Office spearheaded by the PWD Affairs Office (PDAO), the Department of transportation (DOTr) and the Clark International Airport Corporation (CIAC).
It was proposed that public transport facilities like airports, bus stations, among others should have at least a calming room to serve as a waiting area for individuals with sensitive hearing conditions and other related health conditions to prevent them from being affected by the sounds that they hear which affects their behavior.
Further, similar facilities should also be made available in public transportation areas for individuals with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) to ensure that they remain calm while awaiting for their scheduled trips.
The city’s PWD sector hailed the PDAO, the DOTr, the city government and the private sector for spearheading the conduct of such a noble activity for better interaction among the members of the sectors and decision and policy makers for them to act on issues and concerns that are being brought to their attention.
For his part, Arch. Alexis Gabriel Doroteo of the DOTr’s Road Transport and Infrastructure Sector vowed to bring to the attention of higher transport officials the sentiments raised by the city’s PWD sector for their information, guidance, ready reference and further needed action so that whatever directives will be immediately issued for the compliance of the concerned government agencies, the local government and the private sector to achieve the purpose of a safe and accessible public transportation.
He expressed the agency’s gratitude to the PWD sector for openly sharing their insights on the country’s public transport system to allow the concerned authorities to act on such issues and concerns for the government to achieve the purpose of establishing a safe and accessible public transport system. By Dexter A. See
