25
Jan
A census conducted by the National Statistics Office (NSO) in 2000 revealed that there are about 942,000 persons with disabilities in the country, and the government must ensure that they are adequately supported and protected, the senator said.
“This is a conservative count as compared to the World Health Organization estimates for a developing country: That one says that out of every 10 people has a disability. Based on this projection, there are about 8.0 million Filipinos with disability, 80% of which are in the rural areas where they can hardly reach the gains of development,” she said.
While RA 7277, the “Magna Carta for Disabled Persons,” as amended, affords manifold services, including quality education, health and auxiliary social services for PWDs, Legarda said the creation of an office will add a salient feature to the law for the maximum benefits of disabled persons.
“Persons with disabilities are a country’s important endowments. Their rights and privileges must be protected and equal opportunities must be afforded to them to develop their abilities in all fields of human endeavor,” she said after a Senate hearing conducted by the Senate Committee on Social Justice, Welfare, and Rural Development which she chairs.
Senate Bill 2323, authored by Legarda, seeks to amend Sec. 40 of RA 7277, to pave the way for the establishment of a Persons with Disabilities Affairs Office (PDAO) in each province, city, and town.
