House OKs bills pushing for nat’l week for deaf, dwarfism month

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MANILA, Philippines — Proposals to declare the last week of September as the National Week for the Deaf, and then the month of October as the National Dwarfism Awareness Month, were approved on third and final reading by the House of Representatives on Wednesday.

House Bill (HB) No. 4644 or the proposed National Dwarfism Awareness Month Act was approved after 223 lawmakers voted in favor of the proposal, with two voting in the negative and zero abstentions.

HB No. 4646, or the proposed National Week of the Deaf Act, was approved 231 affirmative votes, and no negative votes or abstentions.  Both bills were approved on second reading last February 13.

The bills were both authored by Quezon City 5th District Rep. Patrick Michael Vargas.  In his explanatory note for HB No. 4646, Vargas said the country has been committed to upholding and protecting the rights and welfare of persons with disability (PWDs), but there is still a need to create programs that promote inclusivity and discourage discrimination.

“However, the State must continue to proactively forward cultural innovations to combat stigma and discrimination to members of the PWD community in order for the nation to reap the fruits of these progressive laws,” Vargas said.

“In line with the International Week of the Deaf, a worldwide initiative since 1958 celebrated annually by the global Deaf Community on the last week of September to commemorate the same month the first World Congress of the World Federation of the Deaf was held, the country must exert its efforts and use this opportunity to promote awareness for the plight of people who are deaf,” he added.

READ: Little people, big lives, bigger dreams: Defying the challenges of dwarfism 

Vargas also said, in HB No. 4644 that despite the people affected by dwarfism taking huge roles in the society, they are still facing several challenges in terms of opportunity.