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Hundreds of joggers and persons with disability participate in the “Walk, Run, and Roll” fun run  at the University of the Philippines Diliman on July 20, 2024. The event, sponsored by the Philippine Sports Commission,  has the theme “Promotion Inclusion: Celebrating Abilities and Advocating Access” and is held  in observance of the National Disability Rights Week. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News

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Kaxandra Salonga

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:900px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/173206811842420240720-pwd-fun-run-MT-18.jpg" style="width:900px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left"><span id="isPasted" style="white-space:pre-wrap">Hundreds of joggers and persons with disability participate in the “Walk, Run, and Roll” fun run  at the University of the Philippines Diliman on July 20, 2024. The event, sponsored by the Philippine Sports Commission,  has the theme “Promotion Inclusion: Celebrating Abilities and Advocating Access” and is held  in observance of the National Disability Rights Week. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News</span></span></span></span></div><div><span style="vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">MANILA — Sen. Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III criticized the “meager” P7.6 million allocation for persons with disabilities (PWDs) under the social welfare department’s P93-billion program during its budget hearing on Wednesday. </span></div><div><br/></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Pimentel was referring to the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) Protective Social Welfare Program for PWDs.</span></div><div><br/></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">“Ito ang aking papansinin,assistance to persons with disability, P7.6 million. Parang, what is this? Napakaliit naman,” he said. </span></div><div><br/></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Sen. Imee Marcos, sponsor of DSWD’s budget, agreed with Pimentel. </span></div><div><br/></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">“Napakaliit talaga… yun ang naka-earmark sa PWD. Pero ang katotohanan, palaging nakapriority sa AICS [Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations] ang ating mga PWD,” said Marcos.</span></div><div><br/></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Pimentel called on the DSWD to reconsider its budget for PWDs and reassess its priorities.</span></div><div><br/></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">“Kindly review kung pwedeng… make it more… even on paper makita natin yung support sa kanila, yung concern para sa persons with disabilities,” the Senate minority leader said.</span></div><div><br/></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Marcos suggested reallocating funds from programs Ayuda Para sa Kapos ang Kita Program (AKAP) and AICS, which had seen cuts, to better assist PWDs.</span></div><div><br/></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Pimentel proposed a P350 million allocation for a “cash for work” program aimed at providing PWDs with employment opportunities.</span></div><div><br/></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">“Marami sa kanila gusto magtrabaho pero walang pagkakataon na magtrabaho. So, we allotted P350 million sana kung tatanggapin,” he said. </span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><br/></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/business/2024/4/18/companies-urged-to-hire-pwd-senior-citizens-1648">Companies urged to hire PWD, senior citizens</a></span></div><div><br/></div><div><br/></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><strong>‘ABUSE’ OF PWD CARD</strong></span></div><div><br/></div><div><br/></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">The hearing also addressed the supposed abuse of PWD discount cards, which Marcos attributed to inconsistent regulations across local government units (LGUs).</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><br/></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/11/14/restaurant-owners-sound-alarm-over-fake-pwd-cards-1912">Restaurant owners sound alarm over fake PWD cards</a></span></div><div><br/></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">“Ang problema, as we all know, hinihingi na lang yan sa LGU. May ibang LGU na konsintidor, eh binibigay na lamang yung card,” Marcos said.</span></div><div><br/></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">She also discussed the challenge of verifying disabilities due to the lack of trained medical personnel at LGUs.</span></div><div><br/></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">“Ang madali, pag physical disability ang nakikita. Ang non-apparent disability, yun ang problema dahil wala ring specialized doctors ang LGU para alamin kung totoo o hindi,” the lawmaker added.</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><br/></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/01/28/24/refused-a-pwd-discount-where-and-how-to-file-complaints">Refused a PWD discount? Where and how to file complaints</a></div><div><br/></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Pimentel urged the DSWD to develop an action plan to address the issue. Marcos said that the department is already working on a solution.</span></div><div><br/></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">“They will submit the action plan being fully aware on the problem and the immediate plan is to finally come up with a national PWD ID,” Marcos added.</span></div><div><br/></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">In 2020, only 57 percent of PWDs in the Philippines were employed, lower than the national employment rate of 93.4 percent, as reported by the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority.</span></div><div><br/></div><div><br/></div><div><br/></div>

<p>Sen. Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III criticized the “meager” P7.6 million allocation for persons with disabilities (PWDs) under the social welfare department’s P93-billion program during its budget hearing on Wednesday.</p>

Sen. Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III criticized the “meager” P7.6 million allocation for persons with disabilities (PWDs) under the social welfare department’s P93-billion program during its budget hearing on Wednesday.

Pimentel slams ‘meager’ budget for PWDs

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Pimentel slams ‘meager’ budget for PWDs

Kaxandra Salonga,

ABS-CBN News

Published Nov 20, 2024 10:12 AM PHT

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