By Karen Joyce Pumaren & Ma. Therese Taghap/UPV Interns
Photos by Vincent Gefes and Theres Taghap
The provincial government of Iloilo, through the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office (PSWDO), celebrated the 44th National Disability Prevention and Rehabilitation Week with the distribution of assistive devices to children with cerebral palsy.
The province turned over four units of customized wheelchairs to the recipients during the kickoff of the NDPR Week on July 20, 2022, at the Capitol lobby.
The assistive devices were donated by the Latter Day Saints to identified beneficiaries.
Moreover, two persons with disabilities (PWDs) namely Noli Castor and Danilo Postestad received one unit of wheelchair pangkabuhayan/livelihood tricycle.
The PSWDO led by its chief Sarah Barayuga also gave recognition to five PWD Capitol employees for their dedicated service to the provincial government. Barayuga was assisted by the Human Resource Management and Development Office officer-in-charge Maria Jesusa Concepcion Garrido and Board Member Carol-V Espinosa Diaz who is the chairperson of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan Committee on Social Welfare, Housing, Senior Citizens and Person with Disability.
These employees are Bernardito G. Legario, Administrative Aide I of the Iloilo Sports Development and Management Office (ISDMO); Renerio B. Azunar, Mason II of the Provincial Engineer’s Office (PEO); Marcos G. Maigue, Administrative Aide VI of the General Services Office (GSO); John Michael T. Felicio, Administrative Aide VI of GSO; and Marcelina S. Justiniano, Nursing Attendant at the Medical and Dental clinic.
In his message, Provincial Administrator Atty. Dennis T. Ventilacion assured the province’s continued aid and support to PWDs in spite of the ongoing pandemic.
“Bisan ara pa sa gihapon ang threat sang COVID-19, it is the Governor’s directive to pay attention sa other important things pareho sini sang pag-atindir sang aton nga mga pumuluyo kag mga kautoran nga PWDs,” Ventilacion.
The NDPR Week is being celebrated from July 17 to July 23 with the theme, “Working with Government in Achieving Equal Access to Education, Employment and Livelihood towards Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities”.*
