CHR leads celebration of National Disability Prevention and Rehabilitation Week in WV

• Source:http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?nid=2&rid=905074
• Monday, July 18, 2016

(PNA), PGL/CBFERRER/CBF

ILOILO CITY, July 18 (PNA) -- The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) led the weeklong celebration of the 38th National Disability Prevention and Rehabilitation Week in Western Visayas that kicked off on Sunday.

Christopher Montaño, CHR-6 division manager for promotions and linkages development division said that the celebration aims to highlight the calls and concerns affecting the sector of the persons with disabilities and our strive for their continued empowerment.

This year’s theme “Karapatan ng May Kapansanan, Isakatuparan…Now Na!” focuses on the realization of the fundamental freedoms and rights of Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) as provided for in existing international mandates and national laws.

“The thrust is, there should be rights-based empowerment to our fellowmen in the disability sector,” he said.

Montaño pointed out that the most common concern of PWDs is the denial of their basic human right.

According to him, PWDs should have continued access to basic services of the government such as health.

“All of these rights are contained in the various laws that have been passed by our Congress,” he said.

“All of these are supposed to work together to ensure that our PWDs are not discriminated against because that is one of the concerns,” he added.

Today, the Department of Health together with the provincial government of Iloilo and Guimaras launched the online registration for PWDs in Iloilo.

On Thursday, a forum on the Rights of PWDs in the morning and Justice and Equality forum in the afternoon will be conducted here at the Casa Real and Jubilee Hall in the Iloilo City Hall, respectively.

Further, other activities for the weeklong celebration include the Search for Mr. and Miss PWD and the PWD’s Got Talent.