A PERSONS with disabilities (PWDs) group has hailed the filing of a proposed city ordinance on the creation and establishment of the Persons with Disabilities Affairs Office (PDAO) in Davao City.
On July 26, 2022, Councilor Alberto Ungab filed the PDAO Ordinance during the regular session of the 20th Council. The filing of the ordinance was supported with a letter from the Citywide Federation of Persons with Disabilities Inc. (CFPDI).
Ungab said in the letter, CFPDI pointed out that the city has yet to establish a PDAO as mandated under Republic Act No. 10070.
According to the Republic Act No. 10070, every province, city, and municipality must establish a Persons with Disabilities Affairs Office (PDAO), and the fourth (4th), fifth (5th), and sixth (6th) class municipalities must designate a Focal Person to carry out the PDAO's duties.
“Nalipay me ug excited kaayo almost all of the councilors na naka-istorya namo to pass the PDAO Ordinance (We are very happy and excited about this PDAO Ordinance, almost all of the councilors that we have talked to have shown support). In fact, we have distributed our draft proposal sa mga PWDs (to the PWDs), ang ato nalang is the procedural aspect (what we are waiting for is the procedural aspect)” Atty. Rani Leonar, Convenor, Alyansang PDAO, said this during the AFP-PNP Press Conference at the Royal Mandaya Hotel on August 10, 2022.
Leonar said PDAO will give more opportunities to extend support from foreign and local sources to the PWDs.
Meanwhile, Leonar said the next concern would be the budget allocation for the establishment of the office which would cost around P30 million.
“This will cover the salary, capital outlay, etc., but ang dakong bulto ani will go to direct services (but a big portion of this project will go to direct services). Ma-imagine na to sa P30 million i-divide nato og 20,000 [PWDs] equivalent to P1,500 per year per PWD sa Davao City, i-divide pa nimog 12 [months] mahimo nalang og P125 (If we divide the P30 million among the 20,000 PWDs in the city, that is P1,500 per person per year. If you divide it in 12 months, that would only be around P125 per month), but this is more than it,” Leonar said. KSD