AN OFFICIAL from the Association of Differently-Abled Persons Inc. of Davao City has raised concerns about the inaccessibility of some areas along the Davao City Coastal Road (DCCR) for Persons with Disabilities (PWDs).
Armando Amancio, vice president of the Association of Differently-Abled Persons Inc. of Davao City, spoke at the "Walk the Talk: A Presentation on the Results of the Citizen Walkability Assessment in Davao City" event at Ateneo de Davao University. He shared findings from a study on the coastal road to determine whether it is PWD-friendly.
In a video shown during the event, a PWD in a wheelchair is seen struggling to navigate DCCR due to the lack of ramps and curb cuts.
Amancio noted the frustration felt by the PWD community, given their long-standing advocacy for accessibility in government projects.
“Hopefully, every time you build projects, whether it be roads, buildings, etc., you will consider our rights as Persons with Disabilities because we need access to help, services, education, and livelihood provided by the government,” he said. “But how can we access these if the community or environment is not accessible?”
Amancio added that the parking area of the coastal road was not accessible until their sector raised concerns about the lack of curb cuts and ramps. Despite previous complaints at the Bago Aplaya junction, pedestrian lanes still lack necessary accessibility features.
“Amoang hangyo, kinasingkasing sa DPWH [Department of Public Works and Highways] na sa sunod phase atu around the Matina Times beach going to R.Castillo dili na unta gusto me na mu apila na sad me (Our heartfelt plea to the DPWH is that in the next phase of the Davao City Coastal Road project, from Matina Times Beach to R. Castillo, we will no longer have to request for accessibility features)
Ivan Cortes, Head of the City Planning and Development Office, noted that although the DCCR is not a project of the local government unit (LGU) of Davao, they had reviewed the project plans. While the drawings complied with BP 344, the implementation did not.
“The implementation did not comply with what was specified in the drawings,” he said.
Amancio said they had already raised their concerns with the Commission on Human Rights.
Cortes suggested that the association send a letter to the DPWH requesting they revisit the contractor to make the project PWD-friendly.
Amancio also highlighted that Davao City is still not a PWD-friendly city. Major areas, such as San Pedro Street to Quirino, lack ramps and curb cuts, making navigation difficult for PWDs. He rated the city's accessibility a five out of 10.
He proposed creating an Accessibility Audit Monitoring Team under the City Engineering Office (CEO) to ensure compliance with accessibility standards in all government constructions and projects.
Under Batasang Pambansa Blg. (BP) 344, which aims to enhance the mobility of disabled persons by requiring certain buildings, institutions, establishments, and public utilities to install facilities and devices, those who fail to comply face penalties of imprisonment from one month to one year or fines ranging from P2,000 to P5,000.
According to data from the National Council on Disability Affairs, there are approximately 1,638,588 registered PWDs in the Philippines as of June 8, 2024.
In Davao City alone, about 2,000 PWDs are registered under the City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO), with this number expected to grow following the Department of Health’s (DOH) expanded criteria for PWD eligibility. RGP