City creates office for PWD affairs

CEBU, Philippines — The Cebu City Council has passed an ordinance establishing the city’s Persons with Disability Affairs Office (PDAO).

Authored by Councilor Lea Japson, the ordinance shall cover all persons with disability (PWDs) who are residents of the city.

“Pursuant to the mandate of Republic Act No. 7277 as amended by Republic Act No. 10070 and to ensure that policies, programs, and services for persons with disabilities are implemented, the City Government of Cebu hereby creates a Persons with Disability Affairs Office,” read Section 3 of the ordinance.

Section 7 provides the duties and functions of PDAO are to plan and implement policies, plans, and programs for the promotion of the welfare of PWDs; draw up a list of available and required services which can be provided by the PWD; serve as a general information and liaison center for PWDs; gather and compile relevant data on PWDs in the locality; monitor fundraising activities being conducted for the benefit of PWDs, among others.

The PDAO is to be headed by a Disability Affairs Officer II (DAO II) who shall be appointed by the mayor upon favorable recommendation by the City Personnel Selection Board whose term of office is three years.

The head of PDAO must be a Filipino citizen, able to read and write, a registered voter and city resident for at least one year, holder of bachelor’s degree, having at least three years of relevant experience on disability affairs and 16 hours of relevant training on such, career service professional/second level eligibility, and shall be entitled to receive a salary of an amount equivalent to Salary Grade (SG) 15.

Without prejudice to the supervisory power of the City Mayor, the Department of Social Welfare Services (DSWS) shall exercise supervision over the PDAO relative to their plans, activities, and programs for PWDs.

The PDAO head shall be assisted by five office staff personnel with these qualifications: Social Welfare Assistant, Administrative Assistant I (Secretary I), Administrative Aide IV (Clerk II), Administrative Aide III (Utility Worker II), Administrative Aide III (Driver I).

Section 8 provides immediately after the approval by the City Council of the ordinance’s implementing rules and regulations, DSWS shall publish the PDAO positions in three conspicuous places of City Hall for 15 days.

“Upon publication of the position, the City Mayor, shall instruct the Convenors namely the City Administrator, Head of DSWS, and the president of the recognized federation/association of persons with disabilities to prepare for a general assembly, which shall be conducted on the last day of the posting period,” it states.

The heads of DSWS and City Health Department, in coordination with the City Legal Officer, shall formulate and issue the necessary rules and regulations to efficiently and effectively implement the provisions of the ordinance, including the process of appointment and the conduct of general assembly of PWDs.

Section 10 also states the amount necessary to carry out the provisions of the ordinance shall be charged to the current and subsequent budget of the DSWS. — FPL (FREEMAN)