COMPLIANCE to persons with disabilities (PWD) laws on the accessibility of PWDs was tackled during the meeting of the Special Committee on Persons with Disabilities.
The meeting was led by Committee chair Fifth District Rep. Ma. Lourdes "Marilou" Arroyo.
Among the issues raised during the meeting attended by government agencies concerned and various non-government organizations for Persons with Disabilities were the implementation and compliance of laws pertaining to accessibility for PWD in government offices and in local government units (LGUs), accessibility of transportation across the country for persons with disabilities, and equal employment for persons with disabilities in government offices.
Also deliberated was the issue of amending the provisions of the law that no longer appropriately address the challenging situation of persons with disabilities, particularly since the reported number of persons with disabilities has significantly increased.
Among the laws discussed were RA 7277 also known as the Magna Carta for Disabled Persons, RA 10524 or the Employment of PWDs in Government Offices, RA 11228 the Philhealth Coverage for PWDs, RA 10754 or the Expanded Benefits and Privileges of PWDs, RA 9442 or the Benefits and Protection of PWDs, RA 10070 or the Persons with Disability Affairs Office (PDAO), and the BP 344 or the Accessibility Law.
Arroyo intimated that every meeting and deliberation counts for this newly-created Special Committee since for the first time, persons with disabilities have been given their own committee in the House of Representatives.
"This committee is, in itself, the response of Congress to what you said during our previous meeting. Congress is listening and you are being heard. Every meeting is a step forward to our goal of crafting and overseeing effective laws for persons with disabilities. I see many familiar faces who are with me and this committee in our journey to create a better life for our persons with disabilities," Arroyo said.
After session resumes in May, the committee will start the deliberation of 34 house bills and one resolution referred to the committee that is more than what other standing committees have been given.
"Our committee is just a small committee but we are up to the challenge presented to us. The amount of House Bills and Resolutions that we must address only shows how badly people want things done," Arroyo ended.
