PWDs ask for city’s June aid

CEBU, Philippines - The Cebu City Federation of Persons with Disabilities is asking the city government to release its financial assistance to PWDs for the month of June.

PWD President Danny Omayan said that the Cebu City social worker and disbursing officer released statements last year that some PWDs do not have apparent disability conditions.

“Tungod sa confusion, mo-undergo nalang mi sa ilang process,” he said.

“Ni-comment ang mga disbursing officers nga dili daw sila ka determine sa PWD kay dili man gud apparent ang ubang disability maong dili pa gyod mi makakuha kay  magpa re-validate ming tanang members,” he added.

Omayan said that only 12, 000 out of 13, 000 registered members in the federation are entitled to the approved P60 million assistance this year.

He said that he will still appeal for an additional budget so that all qualified PWDs would get their assistance.

“Naa man guy PWD karon nga chronic pero naay sakit sa kidney, so karon dapat apparent na gyod ang disability,” he said.

All members of the federation, said Omayan, should acquire a recent medical certificate from the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center to qualify themselves.

According to him, VSMMC also had difficulty in assisting all the PWDs because of the number of the members of the federation which added to the cause of delay of their certification.

“Maayo pa ang mga senior (citizens) nakakuha na, kami tawn wala pa. Pero sagdi lang kay na-explain na namo sa miyembro nga dapat pod ming mo-follow sa ilang rule,” he said.

He said that the P5,000 cash assistance from the city government is very useful especially for the PWDs’ medication.

Half of the assistance was supposed to be given last June and the other half in December.

“Sa PWD, senior citizens, ug solo parents, kami gyod ang critical kay ang solo parents kay makatrabaho pa raba, kami critical in terms of livelihood ug stability sa life ba,” Omayan said.

With this, he appealed before the city government that it would be of great help should the assistance be given to them this month because they need the assistance for their medications. —/ATO (FREEMAN)