BAGUIO CITY – City resolution 277 penned in 2014 urging the City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO), Health Services Office (HSO), and Department of Education (Dep-Ed) to list persons with disabilities (PWDs) within the city has been complied with.
This was known in a legislative evaluation and monitoring done by the Sangguniang Panlungsod which through the PWD listing such as type of disability, household information, intervention done by government and non-government agencies would guide policy formation, planning and development for PWDs.
According to CSWDO head Betty Fangasan, different programs such as self and social enhancement, community-based vocational rehabilitation service, physical restoration assistance, self-employment assistance, early detection prevention and intervention of disability, special social services, aid to individuals in crisis situations (AICS) and organization of PWD groups and referral to other agencies are being done by their office.
As to records of the CSWDO PWDs registered and issued identification cards since the second semester of 2016, there are 2,509 with 1,347 males and 1,162 females. The breakdown is as follows: there are 260 with learning disabilities; 349 with visual disabilities; 809, ortho; 239, hearing; 104, speech; 387 with intellectual/mental conditions; and 361 with psychosocial difficulties.
From the Dep-Ed records, Dr. Nino Tibangay of the Baguio City Special Education Center submitted the list of learners with special needs, 259 students: 178 males and 81 females. They are identified as children with autism, children with intellectual disability, children with visual impairment and children with hearing impairment. The report is for school year 2018-2019.
Medical officer Dr. Dandeo Halog of the Health Service Office submitted the PWD disability annual report for 2018 which lists 531 PWDs for 16 districts. Asin has 9; Atab – 9; Atok Trail – 33;Aurora Hill – 84; Campo Filipino – 22; City Camp -26; Engineers’ Hill – 14; Irisan – 28; Loakan – 16; Lucban -52; Mines View -38; Pacdal -24; Pinsao – 28; Quezon Hill -8; Quirino Hill – 78; Scout Barrio -62.
Dr. Halog identified the PWDS having multiple disabilities, learning, orthopedic, visual, psychosocial, hearing and mental/intellectual disabilities, speech impairment and disability due to chronic illness. They have been attended to and provided services, such as home visitations, check-up, consultation and issuance of medical certificates, Dr. Halog said.
The PWDs were accorded laboratory tests, provided health education, medications for hypertension-diabetes mellitus and pulmonary tuberculosis, pre-natal, immunizations, dental services, patient profiling, and family planning services.
A regular update on said PWD data however is requested, the legislative status monitoring report stated.**juliegfianza
