By Dominic I. Sanchez
ZAMBOANGA CITY - The Regional Council for Disability Affairs (RCDA) has lined up several activities in celebration of the 36th National Disability Prevention and Rehabilitation Week on July 17-23 here.
During a meeting among RCDA members on July 11, the following activities are scheduled to be conducted for the week: July 17 – Motorcade, opening program in the City Coliseum and the distribution of livelihood starter kits, and a press conference afterwards; July 18 – Enhancement of Persons with Disability (PWDs) skills and talents at the Garden Orchid Hotel, the Division SPED Camp for students with special needs at Boalan Elementary School; July 19- Sign Language Seminar at the Zamboanga City High School; July 21 – Seminar for SPED Teachers on instructional materials; and the processing of PWD passports at the Department of Foreigh Affairs (DFA) office.
The lead agency for this year’s celebration is the DFA, with members of the RCDA to include the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Department of Health (DOH), Department of Education (DepEd) and other agencies as co-leads.
This year’s theme is “Talino at Panindigan ng Taong May Kapansanan Pasaporte sa Kaunlaran.”
Meanwhile, Teddy Kahil, head of the Persons With Disability Affairs Unit of the CSWDO and recipient of the Apolinario Mabini Award last year shared that in a seminar he attended in Malaysia last June, they were planning out modules to increase employment of PWDs worldwide.
“We have now reached the time when PWDs can be globally-competitive,” he shared.