ILOILO Governor Arthur Defensor, Sr. thanked the Philippine Foundation for the Rehabilitation of the Disabled, Inc. (PFRD) for recognizing his administration’s efforts to render outstanding services to persons with disabilities (PWDs).

Defensor received the Apolinario Mabini Award for the Province of Iloilo on Monday, December 3, 2018 at Club Filipino in San Juan City, Metro Manila.

Iloilo is one of the three provinces in the country, which included Camarines Norte and Romblon that received the prestigious award.

PFRD launched the Apolinario Mabini Awards in 1974 to give recognition to individuals with disabilities, professionals, and various groups that have distinguished themselves in their chosen fields of endeavor or have rendered outstanding services to PWDs.

The award was named after one of the country’s foremost heroes, Apolinario Mabini, also known as the Sublime Paralytic.

Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office (PSWDO) chief Dr. Neneth Pador accompanied Governor Defensor in receiving the award from PFRD executives led by chairperson Lourdes Pimentel.

The PSWDO is in the forefront of the implementation of programs in pursuit of the Defensor administration’s vision to make Iloilo a non-handicapping and PWD-friendly province.

In 2013, the province launched a scholarship program for PWDs where 10 poor but bright PWDs are admitted every year.

Also, the province has partnered with the Latter Day Saints Charities Foundation for the distribution of 600 wheelchairs and 300 assistive devices to qualified beneficiaries.

The two innovative programs became the basis for the Department of Social Welfare and Development Wesern Visayas to confer on Iloilo Province the 2016 Gawad sa Makabagong Teknolohiyang Panlipunan.

Iloilo Province is also one of the pioneer LGUs in the country to establish a dedicated Persons with Disability Affairs Office (PDAO) within the PSWDO.

PDAO is tasked to address the needs of PWDs in the province. (PR)