Cebu LGUs, private firms extend aid to PWDs

Two years ago, the national government increased the pension of PWD workers.

LOCAL governments in Cebu have been doing their part in extending assistance to their constituents with disabilities.

Aside from job fairs, both Cebu City Hall and Mandaue City Hall are allocating cash aid to persons with disabilities (PWDs) with Cebu City allocating P1,000 cash aid on a quarterly basis.

The Cebu City Council passed an ordinance raising the cash aid to PWDs from P5,000 a year to P12,000.

The ordinance remains pending after former mayor Michael Rama questioned how a PWD can qualify for aid.

The Cebu City Federation of PWDs welcomed the proposed ordinance and called for a uniform implementation of the cash aid since a lot of PWDs find it difficult to secure employment.

Under the criteria set by the ordinance, beneficiaries should secure a medical certificate from the barangay health center, a certification from the barangay that he or she lives in.

He or she should also secure an assessment from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) certifying his or her status as a PWD.

In the province, the provincial government marks Persons with Disabilities Month every July with medical missions and a series of workshops and dialogues that promote awareness of PWD welfare and rights.

The late Provincial Board (PB) member Arleigh Sitoy, a stroke victim who chaired the PB committee on PWDs, passed an ordinance that grants a 10 percent discount on real property tax to companies that hire PWDs.

And private companies like SM hold activities that also promote PWD welfare in line with the National Disability Prevention and Rehabilitation Week in July.