MANILA, Philippines The United Nations has officially declared Wednesday,

December 3, "International Day of Disabled Persons," to raise awareness about the

attention and help needed by persons with disability (PWDs).

In the country, former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo designated in 2006 December

3 as "International Day of Persons with Disabilities in the Philippines." The National
Council for the Welfare of Disabled Persons (now called the National Council on
Disability Affairs, or NCDA) was tasked as lead agency for all activities related to this
celebration.

Republic Act 7277, or the Magna Carta for Disabled Persons, defined PWDs as "those
suffering from restriction of different abilities, as a result of a mental, physical or sensory
impairment, to perform an activity in the manner or within the range considered normal
for a human being."

Based on the 2010 Census, there are 1,443,000 PWDs comprising 1.57% of the total
population, in the country. In the 2013 elections, there were around 365,000 registered
PWD voters.

What benefits are they entitled to based on legislation and government proclamations?
Here's what we found.

20% discount on:

hotels and similar lodging establishments, restaurants and recreation

centers
theaters, cinema houses, concert halls, circuses, carnivals and other
similar places of culture, leisure and amusement
medicines in all drugstores
medical and dental services, including diagnostic and laboratory fees, in all
government facilities (subject to guidelines to be issued by DOH in
coordination with PhilHealth
medical and dental services, including diagnostic and laboratory fees, and
professional fees of attending doctors in all private hospitals and medical
facilities (in accordance with the rules and regulations to be issued by DOH
in coordination with PhilHealth)
domestic air and sea travel
public railways and bus fare
skyways and expressways toll fees (for PWD owning a vehicle)

5% discount on:
 basic necessities (rice, corn, bread, fresh, dried and canned fish and other
marine products, fresh pork, beef and poultry meat, fresh eggs, fresh and
processed milk, infant formulas, fresh vegetables, root crops, coffee,
sugar, cooking oil, salt, laundry soap, detergents, firewood, charcoal,
candles and other commodities as maybe classified by the DTI and the
DA)
prime commodities (fresh fruits, dried, processed and canned pork, beef
and poultry, meat, dairy products not falling under basic necessities,
noodles, onions, garlic, diapers, herbicides, poultry, swine and cattle feeds,
veterinary products for poultry, swine and cattle feeds, veterinary products
for poultry, swine and cattle, paper, school supplies, nipa shingle,
plyboard, construction nails, batteries, electrical supplies, light bulbs, steel
wire and other commodities that may be classified by DTI and DA)

NOTE: Total amount of said purchase should not exceed P1,300 per calendar week
without carry over of the unused amount

Employment opportunities:

all government agencies, offices or corporations shall reserve at least 1%

of all positions for PWDs
private corporations with more than 100 employees are encouraged to
reserve at least 1% of all positions for PWDs

Other priviledges:

express lanes in all commercial and government establishments

accessible biometrics registration and voting precincts
designated PWD-friendly public attorneys
educational assistance to pursue primary, secondary, tertiary, post tertiary,
as well as vocational or technical education in both public and private
schools
protection against verbal and non-verbal ridicule and vilification
P15,000 worth of benefits to qualified PhilHealth members or dependents
in need of lower limb prosthesis
establishment of a Persons with Disability Affairs Office (PDAO) in every
province, city and municipality
accessible website of all government agencies

To avail of these priviledges and perks, a PWD should secure and present a PWD ID.
Details on registration and application may be found here.

Problems
But despite all these perks, NCDA claims that PWDs still encounter problems such as
poverty and discrimination.

Months ago, photos of a disabled person and a dog denied access to a mall became
viral. The incident turned out to be a simple misunderstanding, but it raised the issue of
whether private establishments are considerate of the needs of PWDs.

Moreover, in the 2013 elections considered to be more PWD-inclusive compared to

past elections only 82,000 out of the 365,000 registered PWD voters were able to cast
their votes.

Many establishments still lack ramps, functioning elevators, and necessary facilities.
Also, oppportunities are lost because of lack of proper funding for PWD programs.

In a dialogue, NCDA director Carmen Reyes Zubiaga said that PWDs are "not asking
the government for special treatment, but only for them to address our reasonable
accommodation. Rappler.com
https://www.slideshare.net/AKKAPPPWDBambang/laws-and-mandate-pwd-forum
Republic Act 6759
Republic of the Philippines
CONGRESS OF THE PHILIPPINES
Metro Manila
Third Regular Session
Begun and held in Metro Manila, on Monday
the twenty-fourth Day of July, nineteen hundred and eighty-nine.
REPUBLIC ACT NO. 6759
AN ACT DECLARING AUGUST ONE OF EACH YEAR AS WHITE CANE SAFETY
DAY IN THE PHILIPPINES AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in
Congress assembled:
SECTION 1. Short Title. This act shall be known as the White Cane Act.
SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy. It is declared to be the policy of the State to
promote and protect the physical, moral, and social well-being of all handicapped
persons, such as the blind, and to undertake studies on specific causes of high
percentage of blind people in the Philippines.
SECTION 3. White Cane Safety Day. August One of each year is hereby declared
as White Cane Safety Day for the purposes of instilling public awareness of the plight of
the blind, promoting recognition and acceptance of the white cane as a symbol of the
need of the blind for specific assistance and as a reminder of the individuals duty to
care for and accord due respect to his unfortunate brethren.
SECTION 4. Observation; Education and Information. The White Cane Safety Day
shall be appropriately observed, Towards this end, the Department of Education,
Culture and Sports, the Department of Health and the Philippine Information Agency
shall conduct a continuing education and information campaign to achieve the purposes
as stated in Section Three of this Act.
SECTION 5. Government Agencies; Rules and Regulations The Department of
Education, Culture and Sports shall, in consultation with the Department of Health and
the Department of Social Welfare and Development, issue rules and regulations to
effectively implement the provisions of this Act.
SECTION 6. Effectivity This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its complete
publication in a newspaper of general circulation.
Approved:
(SGD.) RAMON V. MITRA
Speaker of the House of Representatives
(SGD.) JOVITO R. SALONGA
President of the Senate
This Act which originated in the Senate was finally passed by the senate and the House
of Representatives on August 29, 1989 and August 17, 1989, respectively
(SGD.) QUIRINO D. ABAD SANTOS, JR.
Secretary of the House of Representatives
(SGD.) EDWIN P. ACOBA
Secretary of the Senate
Approved: September 18, 1989
(SGD.) CORAZON C. AQUINO
President of the Philippines
http://opinion.inquirer.net/46373/mentally-disabled-but-not-crazy