BAGUIO CITY – The city’s barangays are now required to create persons with disabilities (PWD) committees and set up and maintain desks to cater to PWD concerns.
This is as per Ordinance No. 47 series of 2017 approved by the city council last May 22 authored by Councilor Arthur Allad-iw.
The PWD committee will be headed by the punong barangay and the chair of the committee on women and family in the barangay council with the president of PWD group at the barangay level, the barangay health Worker, civil society organization representative, inter-faith representative, youth representative, Barangay Nutrition Action Officer (BNAO), barangay volunteers and representative from the Local Development Council.
The committee is required to meet once every three months or as may be necessary.
Its functions include serving as an advisory committee to the barangay council on PWD concerns, proposing annual budgetary allocations for the operation and maintenance of PWD desks; formulating the PWD development plans and programs and assisting the corresponding Barangay Council in setting the direction of economic and social development of PWDs.
It will also coordinate, monitor, appraise and evaluate the implementation of development programs and project for PWDs, mobilize people’s participation in PWD development efforts, assist in the formulation of the guidelines in the general management and/or operation of the PWDs and perform such other functions as may be necessary.
The PWD desk will be manned by a barangay official, a volunteer or a PWD and will function as the receiving section and action center of all issues and concerns related to PWDs.
Those who intend to appoint a desk office who is not a member of the barangay council, the appointment must be supported by a resolution or endorsement from a PWD organization or PWD assembly which will be adopted by the barangay council with the appointee a bonafide resident of the barangay and member of the PWD organization.
Among the duties of the PWD committee chair are to coordinate with the Department of Interior and Local Government, Department of Social Welfare and Development and the Office of the City Social Welfare and Development Officer on PWD concerns; represent the barangay during PWD activities and meetings of local development councils and other special bodies; issue Identification Cards to PWDs indicating therein the disability, name of the guardian, name of claimant for Tax Exemptions and other benefits, Tax Identification Number of the tax claimant, contact number of the guardian/claimant; ensure that PWDs are assisted by persons of their choice during national or local elections in accordance with Section 29 of the Magna Carta for Disabled Persons;
Recommend and enjoin the participation of non-government organizations (NGOs) and people’s organizations (POs) in the implementation of all disability-related laws and policies; submit report to the Persons with Disabilities Affairs Office on the implementation of the programs and services for the promotion of the welfare of persons with disabilities; monitor fund raising activities being conducted for the benefit of PWDs; and ensure that the development plans and decisions of the PWD committee are faithfully carried out and implemented.
The PWD desk officer will act as secretariat to the PWD committee, DSWD and OCSWADO activities in the barangay; gather, compile and keep pertinent data such as, but not limited to, the nature and history of their disabilities and their potentials, including those that can be possibly honed for livelihood purposes and their ethnic affiliation.
As to disaster preparedness and management, the officer should be able to identify their residence location and adopt a system for their evacuation during calamities and possible assistance.
They will also monitor and report discriminatory acts committed against PWD and ensure the attainment of a barrier free environment, to report to the Persons with Disability Affairs Office under the Mayor’s Office, non-compliant establishments and such other places mentioned in Batas Pambansa Bilang 344, otherwise known as the Accessibility Law, among other functions.
Violation of the provisions of this ordinance will be subject to penalties of fines ranging from P3,000 to P5,000.
Compliance to the ordinance will be done by the DILG Baguio, the OCSWADO and PDAO. **Aileen P. Refuerzo
