LAWYER Rani Leonar, convenor of Alyansang Persons with Disability Office, has urged the Davao City government including the Sangguniang Panlungsod to establish and administer their own persons with disability (PWD) office as mandated by law.

Speaking at the AFP-PNP Press Corps briefing on Wednesday, August 10, at The Royal Mandaya Hotel, Leonar said the establishment of the office is legally mandated under Republic Act (RA) 7277 as amended by RA 10070.

It is stated in the law that local government units shall organize and establish a PWD office where the local chief executive shall appoint a PWD affairs officer who shall manage and oversee the operations of the office, pursuant to its mandate.

Leonar said he is thankful that the chairman of the Committee on Government Reorganization in the 20th City Council, Councilor Alberto Ungab, and Councilor Pilar Braga have proposed the PWD office ordinance.

He also said there were committee hearings that had been conducted for this purpose.

The PWD sector is currently lobbying with Mayor Sebastian Duterte to support the establishment of the PWD office.

Based on the proposed ordinance, the creation of the office will give life to the spirit and intent of Philippine laws to assist, promote and protect the general welfare of persons with disability, in any and all forms, and will recognize their role and support their economic, political and social contributions for the progress and development of the city.

PWDs are those individuals with orthopedic disability such as polio, amputees and hunchback; those who have visual disability (blind); communication disability (deafmute, harelip); and learning disability (Down syndrome, ADHD).

Also considered PWDs are those with psychosocial disability (insane, bipolar, illnesses like cancer, HIV, kidney) and intellectual disability such as autism, seizures and cerebral palsy.

In 2014, First District Rep. Paolo Duterte, then acting city mayor, issued Executive Order 14 and established the interim PWD office in preparation for the passing of a city ordinance for that purpose.

Lawyer Dindo Martinez, also from the alliance, believes in the importance of creating an office for the PWD sector because he said this will cater to all their needs, particularly on the issue of accessibility.

“The law clearly provides a state policy that PWDs should be integrated into mainstream society,” Martinez said.

The PWD sector is hoping that the city PWD office will be made a department or division under the City Mayor’s Office and will be composed of appointed employees who are themselves PWDs from the different sectors.

In Davao City, nearly 20,000 PWDs are already registered, with issued identification cards.

The office needs P30 million for its operation for the year 2023.