The city government apologized to the persons with disabilities (PWDs) in the city for the alleged failure of city officials to prioritize their basic needs during the implementation of the Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ).
Mayor Benjamin B. Magalong said he will get the inputs of the Persons with Disabilities Affairs Office (PDAO) and the city council committee on employment, livelihood, cooperatives, and PWDs on the needs of the PWDs in the city’s barangays so that concerned offices will be guided on how assist them.
He said the city will continue to extend to the vulnerable and marginalized sectors the appropriate assistance.
Earlier, PWDs, especially the masseurs who lost their jobs called on the concerned government agencies and the city government to help them and their families survive during the ECQ.
Part of the assistance that could be extended by the city government to the PWDs in the city’s barangays will be the relief packs containing several kilos of rice, several canned goods, noodles, sugar, cooking oil to tide them over from the lost income.
The PDAO and the city council committee on employment, livelihood, cooperatives, and PWDs were asked to immediately conduct an inventory on the number of PWDs in the city’s barangays so that concerned offices of the city can apportion the appropriate number of relief packs to be provided to the prospective beneficiaries as the PWDs are part of the vulnerable and marginalized sectors in the city.
Barangays were also requested to provide the PDAO and the concerned committee of the city council the needed data on the number of PWDs in their areas of jurisdiction to ensure that the assistance extended by the city will go to those who really need the same.
He said it was not the intention of the city government to leave out the PWDs and assured the city government’s assistance to them. – PIO release
April 24, 2024
