Jul. 17-23 is Nat’l Disability Prevention and Rehabilitation week

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 34^th 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 17^th.

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)