By:
Jocelyn P. Alvarez
ZAMBOANGA
CITY,
July 10 (PIA) - - Aimed at
stimulating public awareness on the issues and problems of disability and to
encourage every citizen of the country to take active responsibility in the
upliftment of the economic and social conditions of the Persons with
Disabilities (PWDs) in our society, July 17-23 of every year was declared National
Disability Prevention and Rehabilitation (NDPR) week as a state policy enshrined
in Proclamation no. 1870 (in 1979) as amended by Proclamation Number 361 (in 2000)
and Administrative Order No. 35 (in 2002).
For this year, the country will celebrate the 34th
NDPR week with the theme: “Mainstreaming persons with Disabilities in Economic
Development.”
The theme was conceptualized to contribute and promote
the full employment of PWDs and to tackle barriers and gaps, facilitate
stakeholder’s cooperation, develop innovative approaches and support human rights-based
initiatives for the economic development of the PWDs.
Here in Zamboanga City, the Regional Council on
Disability Affairs (RCDA) recently met to formulate plan of activities for the
up-coming NDPR week celebration with the Department of Labor and Employment
(DOLE) as the lead-agency or the over-all administrator and coordinator of all
activities to be undertaken.
To drumbeat the weeklong fete, the RCDA came up with
various activities.
The celebration will kick off July 17 with a
motorcade starting at the Red Cross Center in Pettit barracks and will end at
the Zamboanga City High School (ZCHS) Main in Tetuan where a short program will
be held and a free vaccine against flu and pneumonia for PWDs ages 18 and up will
be conducted by the Department of Health (DOH).
To further widen awareness on the NDPR week
celebration, a Media Forum will also be conducted July 17 at 10am at the Philippine
Information Agency (PIA) office.
The PWDs will share their “contribution” in the NDPR
week celebration by conducting a tree planting activity on July 17.
The Technical Education Skills Development Authority
(TESDA) for their part in partnership with the ZCHS, Dept. of Social Welfare
and Dev’t (DSWD) and AVRC will conduct skills training for PWDs on haircut,
foot and hand spa on July 16 to 18.
The DOLE aside from being the lead agency in this
celebration, will have its turn-over of “kabuhayan starter Kit” to beneficiaries
and will conduct orientation on “employees compensation program” on the 17th.
A PWD congress is slated on July 19 at the Garden
Orchid Hotel with the City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO) as the
organizer in partnership with the Gender and Development (GAD) focal point.
A psychological test for children with learning
disabilities will also be conducted on July 20 at the Zamboanga City Medical
Center (ZCMC) with the Department of Education (DepEd)-ZCHS and DOH taking
responsibility in this activity.
PWDs will also be given skills demonstration on
siomai and tocino making by the DSWD and Dept. of Agriculture (DA) on Jul. 20.
In appreciation and recognition to establishments- government
and non-gov’t, employing PWDs, the DSWD and DOLE will award them with
certificates and plaques of appreciation- still on July 20.
Meanwhile, the Commission on Election (Comelec) will
have its PWD voter’s registration on July 21 while an ecumenical mass for PWDs
is set on July 22.
Closing day-July 23, will be filled with fun as the
DepEd-ZCHS will be conducting a PWD sports festival at the Sta Maria Elem.
School while the CSWDO is set to conduct a forum on economic empowerment. (JPA/ PIA9-ZBST)