Cebu City dad pushes for PWD aid increase

CEBU, Philippines - A Cebu City councilor is pushing for an increase in the annual financial assistance given by the city government to registered persons with disabilities (PWDs) in the city.

In his proposed ordinance, Councilor Eugenio Gabuya said from P5,000 per year, the assistance should be increased to P12,000, the same amount the city’s registered senior citizens receive.

“Akong nakita nga ang PWD mao ni ang grupo nga kailangan og pagtagad sa gobyerno. Nakahatag ta og 12,000 sa senior citizen a year, why not also give them to the PWDs,” he said.

Gabuya said all residents in the city, especially the PWDs, should benefit from the fruits of its development.

Section 2 of the proposed measure states that “it is the policy of the state to recognize the rights of disabled persons and to give full support to the improvement of their total well-being and their integration into the mainstream of society.”

Gabuya said the proposed ordinance would help the PWDs in their extra costs, like for their medication.

He said he just took the lead to propose the measure since 90 percent of the PWDs cannot be employed in commercial businesses.

The city has at least 9,349 PWDs.

Gabuya referred his proposed measure to the Council’s Committee on Laws, Ordinances, Public Accountability and Good Government for its recommendation.

The City Council will be inviting stakeholders in a public hearing before the final deliberation of the ordinance.

Last month, Gabuya, in a resolution, asked the city’s executive department to include P65.4 million additional budget in the next supplemental budget to cover the P7,000 differential amount for each PWD.

He said he wants the PWDs to get an annual P12,000 financial assistance.

However, the approved resolution has not yet been implemented by the executive department.

Mayor Michael Rama and Department of Social Welfare and Services head Ester Concha believe that the city should come up with a “fair and reasonable criteria” in giving the financial aid to the PWDs.

Both Rama and Concha are not convinced that PWDs will be given equal amount of financial assistance since they have different degrees of disabilities.

Gabuya, for his part, said he is not amenable to the leveling that Rama and Concha want.

“Dili sad siguro makatarunganon nga kinsa tong ga-wheelchair maoy padak-an, ang wala mag wheelchair gamay,” Gabuya said, adding that the city already has a guideline for the qualification of the PWDs so that they will be granted with the aid. — (FREEMAN)