ALL persons with disability (PWDs) who registered as voters in Cebu City in 2013 are now qualified to receive P12,000 in cash aid from the Cebu City Government.

The qualified PWDs can now receive their financial assistance on a monthly basis, a departure from the quarterly distribution system.

The change came after the amendment to City Ordinance 2456 (An Ordinance Granting P12,000 Annual Financial Assistance to Qualified Persons with Disability of Cebu City) was approved during the City Council’s regular session on Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2020.

Cebu City Councilor Lea Japson pushed for the amendment as she wanted more PWDs to get the aid.

The ordinance defines a PWD as someone who is “suffering from restriction or different abilities from the result of mental, physical or sensory impairment to perform an ability in the manner within the range considered normal for the human being.”

Before the amendment, the ordinance had only provided cash assistance to the PWDs who registered as voters in Cebu City in 2010. The amended ordinance expands the aid’s coverage to the 2013 registered voters.

The applicants for the PWD financial assistance must be holders of the original PWD identification card issued by the Department of Social Welfare Services.

They must also present a voter certification issued by the Commission on Elections to prove they had registered as voters in Cebu City in 2013.

Aside from these requirements, the PWDs must also submit the application form for financial assistance, and original copies of medical certificate and medical records on the severity and classification of disability.

Japson said more PWDs registered as voters in 2013, adding that they “need the assistance of the government as they cannot sustain their day-to-day medical maintenance” on their own. (JJL)