By Jocelyn P. Alvarez
ZAMBOANGA
CITY - With this year’s theme “Building an inclusive and non-handicapping
environment for Persons With Disabilities (PWDs),” members of the Regional
Council on Disability Affairs (RCDA) met Tuesday in one of the local hotels
here to discuss among others the lined up activities for this year’s National
Disability Prevention and Rehabilitation (NDPR) Week celebration.
NDPR week is being commemorated
annually every July 17-23 by virtue of Administrative Order No. 35 (2002) to
stimulate public awareness on the issues and problems of disability so as to
encourage every citizen of the country to take active responsibility in the
upliftment of the economic and social conditions of the PWDs of our society.
Cynthia Bariga, Regional Program
Coordinator, National Council on Disability Affairs (NCDA) during the RCDA
meeting said this year’s theme was adopted to promote the principles and
concepts relevant to disability inclusive development. “The theme also extends
to advocate for the mainstreaming of disability agenda in all government
agencies, non government organizations, civil society and the public in
general,” she said.
Bariga explained, the weeklong NDPR
observance is geared not only in drumbeating public awareness and strengthening
involvement of concerned groups but also serves as vehicle of information for
programs being implemented by the government agencies and organizations of and
for PWDs that adhere to promotion of the inherent rights and concerns of PWDs.
“We also hope to generate full media
support on the celebration and other disability-related issues and concerns
that affect PWDs and their families,” she said.
The Department of Social
Welfare and Development (DSWD) IX serves as the RCDA secretariat. (PIA9)