AS part of the mission of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to promote human and social development, the department has committed to effectively promote social protection programs and services to vulnerable sectors of the society, wherein one of the many human development programs of DSWD focuses on the significant rehabilitation of physically and mentally disabled individuals in the community for effective social functioning.
Relative to this, the DSWD 7, by virtue of Republic Act 1159 of 1954, has established a vocational rehabilitation center on September 30, 1974 to serve persons with disabilities (PWDs), which offers a comprehensive vocational recovery program to address the multi-faceted problems of PWDs. The Department’s Area Vocational Rehabilitation Center (AVRC) II’s package of services is designed to respond effectively and efficiently to the social, emotional, psychological, physical, vocational and livelihood needs of the enrolled center clients who usually belong to the marginalized sectors and are deprived of health services.
“These vulnerable sectors of our society are the ones prone to damaging criticisms from the public that would erode their self-esteem and self-worth. Sadly, most of them would believe they are incompetent in the society. Now, this has become the most challenging part of the center—to lift them from wallowing in self-pity,” said Eutilla Tahanlangit, AVRC II center head.
The AVRC II, with a partnership with Cebu Doctor’s University (CDU), has established an in-house physical therapy (PT) services in the center for free to restore and regain maximum body functioning and make accessible affordable mobility aids and physical rehabilitation treatments to indigent orthopedically impaired clients, which was eventually opened to indigent walk-in clients as well. In this in-house PT services, the AVRC II basically provides a room as PT unit, light, water, and maintenance of the facility while the CDU provides all the necessary equipment, supplies and materials, a full-time clinical instructor who closely supervises the PT interns of CDU that serves as the manpower for the PT sessions. (S)