‘Cebu City not PWD-friendly’

Despite  its reputation as a tourism destination and its cultural heritage advocacy, Cebu City ranks low in terms of caring for persons with disabilities (PWDs).

“Cebu City is the best place to stay  but it’s not friendly to PWDs,” said Leonilo Umayan, head of the Persons with Disability Affairs Office (PDAO) in Cebu City.

He said only 60 percent of the city’s 80 barangays complied with the social fund requirement of the General Appropriations Act that mandates the allocation of 1 percent of their Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) as social fund for PWDs.

Umayan said Cebu-based companies also refuse to employ PWDs even after they graduate college.

He said only the management of the Mabolo Printing Press was generous in employing 27 deaf-mutes as calendar binders.

“Their human resources personnel studied sign language so they can understand the deaf-mute employees,” said Virginia Piccio, a social worker of the Department of Social Welfare and Development in Central Visayas.

City Hall also employs 32 PWDs, of which seven were given regular status while 25 are casuals.

Umayan said lack of financial support hampered the office from organizing a program to celebrate PWD Month.

In contrast, Piccio said in Bohol province, a college  offers 50 percent discount for tuition to its PWD students.

“In Cebu City, nothing,” she lamented. Piccio said  5,124 are registered as PWDs while 900 others, including those who are bedridden and nonvoters whose registrations are still being processed.  Piccio said  PDAO earlier registered 5,289 persons with disabilities.