In continuation of the celebration of the National Disability Prevention and Rehabilitation (NDPR) Week, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) will hold “Forum on Initiatives in Mainstreaming the Rights of Persons with Disability (PWDs)” on September 6 at the DSWD Central Office Auditorium.

The activity aims to strengthen public support for initiatives to mainstream the rights of PWDs by presenting international and national laws for the protection of PWDs. The forum also aims to be a venue to generate and gather recommendations for the benefit of the members of the sector of PWDs, and to improve and expand the DSWD’s programs and services for them.

Various speakers from government agencies such as the DSWD, the Department of Health (DOH), the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), National Council on Disability Affairs (NCDA), Civil Service Commission (CSC), Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth), and Philippine Commission on Women (PCW) will discuss employment, health and social services and programs of the national government for the disability sector.

Moreover, the forum will also review the status of the 10-Point Agenda for PWDs which was drafted by hundreds of PWD participants from all regions nationwide during the National Summit for PWDs last year.

DSWD Officer-in-Charge Emmanuel A. Leyco said that the forum will also serve as another good opportunity for the DSWD and the rest of the national government tasked with helping the PWD sector to assess the effectiveness of the various programs of the government.

“As always, our goal is to ensure that national government agencies such as the DSWD are able to give as much support as possible to the sector of PWDs in the country and to help in improving their condition,” said OIC  Leyco.

“We need to ensure that the sector is not left behind when it comes to the crafting of social welfare programs and policies. We will continue to initiate and hold public consultations with PWD organizations and their members so they can give us feedback on our programs. The sector continues to face many difficulties and challenges, and we still have a very long way to improve the plight of the sectors’ more impoverished members. The sector of PWDs need all the assistance that the national government and its agencies can provide it, and the DSWD is committed to do its share in improving the condition of PWDs,” OIC Leyco concluded.#