Hilongos DAP rep elected to int'l board

HILONGOS, LEYTE, Philippines  — Marta Villafañe, one of the Philippine delegates to the six-day 2nd World Assembly for Women With Disabilities (WWDs) held in Seoul, South Korea, has recently returned home with a report of her big achievement in that international gathering.

Villafañe, president of the Association of Differently Abled Persons (DAP)-Hilongos chapter, reported to her benefactor, town Mayor Jose Emery Roble, that she was elected to the advisory board of the International Solidarity Fund for WWDs.

"My travel to South Korea was a big achievement for ADAP-Hilongos and the Philippines," said Villafane as she thanked also the Christian Blind Mission, Carmen Zubiaga, AKAPINOY and Mayor Roble.

She said the event, held with the theme "Women Striving for a Brighter Tomorrow," was attended by at least 2,000 DAPs from 45 countries.

The assembly held conferences that tackled ways to protect the rights and social participation of WWDs, and an international secretariat was decided to be set up in South Korea to promote solidarity among WWDs around the world.

Villafañe said the delegates had common observations on the plight of WWDs worldwide, such as social discrimination, poverty, and lesser access to education, employment and health care.

These callous treatments of WWDs further got into her upon arriving back to the Philippines. While she admired how the Korean government and its people provide better care and treatment for DAPs, she reported her disappointing experience with an airline that allegedly treated her harshly.

"While my spirit was high as we were treated with utmost decency in South Korea, it was very sad to note that it is here in the place we call home that I shed tears of sadness," she told The FREEMAN.

Villafañe said she was unable to catch the scheduled flight to the province because the airline made it difficult for her to board. "I experienced discrimination because the airline only gave me P3 discount instead of the mandated 20 percent," she said.

"They also required me to produce a doctor's certificate (to show fitness to travel)," she said wondering why the airline was so hard on this matter when it knew that she just came from international flights to and from South Korea.

Unable to get a ticket that day, she was forced to spend the night at an unfamiliar place in Manila and, with dwindling funds, she was forced to call Roble in Hilongos for assistance. The next day, she was issued a plane ticket and got home finally.

Despite the unpleasant experience, Villafañe said: "I still have a positive outlook for the DAPs of Hilongos, of Leyte province and of the world." (FREEMAN)