Persons with Disabilities all over the province of Negros Oriental have scored what they considered as inhumane treatment by certain bus companies in the province including tricycles plying the streets of Dumaguete City for being selective and for refusal to convey.
The sentiments were aired during a two-day symposium that culminated Wednesday, which was attended by association presidents of PWDs from Basay to Vallehermoso and representatives of government and line agencies in Negros Oriental.
Federation President Conrado Bacud Jr. said the bottomline of the two-day activity is for agencies concerned to know that PWDs all over the province are aware of their rights and privileges but there seems to be lack of enforcement of existing laws such as the Magna Carta for PWDs, 20 percent discount on certain items/services as well as including the 12 percent value added tax and so on.
Association president of La Libertad town, Eddie Visagas, and the PWD president of Tayasan, Giller Ballevar, reported during the symposium they had to walk more than 70 meters to Bethel Guest House in Dumaguete for the said activity because the bus didn’t stop in front of the establishment because the conductor said it is a “no-stopping” area.
More PWDs criticized the insensitivity of some drivers and conductors who may not be aware of the provisions of the law.
For his part, the vice president of the provincial federation of PWDs in Negros Oriental, Alexander Arias, president of the association of PWDs in Siaton town, also informed the symposium he has filed a case of direct discrimination against the same bus company in 2015 but the same was dismissed by the provincial prosecutors office, and so he elevated the same to the higher court.
The case stemmed from the actuation of the bus conductor when he wanted to avail of reserved seats for PWDs, senior citizens and pregnant women.
Arias enjoined PWDs in the province to exert for their rights and privileges as provided for in the Magna Carta.
Federation president Bacud also enjoined local government units including the barangays to appropriate one percent of their respective Internal Revenue Allotments as their share to be divided among them and the senior citizens as provided for under the General Appropriations Act.
Present during the two-day symposium were representatives from the social welfare office, Land Transportation Office, Department of Health, as well as the members of the Provincial Disability Council as part of the National Disability Prevention and Rehabilitation week which was celebrated in July this year.
PSWD focal person for PWDs Benemerita Badon finds the activity very helpful in the presence of representatives from public and private hospital in the city due to concerns for their rights and privileges especially during admissions.
She said an online registration of PWDs is being conducted by the hospitals so that in case of hospitalization, PWDs can automatically avail of their rights and privileges.
The problem right now is that a lot of PWDs in the province are not yet registered on line. At present, there are about 9,500 all over the province as inventoried but only half of them have been registered and have identification cards.
According to Badon, only Sta. Catalina and Ayungon have an almost complete list of PWDs that were registered on-line while the rest of the municipalities have problems with slow internet connection. (Juancho Gallarde/PNA)