Social Services, Labor cmtes tackle ways to give assistance to PWDs

COUNCILOR Joyleen Mercedes Balaba, chair of the City Council committee on social services and on labor and employment, yesterday requested the City Social Welfare and Development

(CSWD) to submit a list of Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) and those in the Blind and Deaf sector to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and the Department of

Labor and Employment for possible livelihood assistance.

This, after the committees discussed the proposal of Councilor Balaba to provide special assistance through livelihood programs to those who have been displaced and directly affected by the implementation of Modified Enhance Community Quarantine (MECQ) in the city.

Atheneus A. Vasallo, representative of DOLE-10, informed the committee that the Employees Compensation Commission (ECC) under DOLE has a “Katulong at Gabay sa Manggawang may Kapansanan” or KaGabay Program, a special economic assistance program for occupationally-disabled workers (ODWs) who lost employment by reason of work-related sickness or injury.

He said under the program, employees affected by COVID-19 can avail of P20,000 and P10,000 financial assistance on a case-to-case basis.

In response to the query of Councilor Reuben Daba on cash assistance for PWDs, Vasallo said under the DOLE’s COVID Adjustment Measures Program (CAMP), P5,000 is given to regular

employees and PWDs as long as they are employed and their income is greatly affected by the pandemic.

However, he said funds for the program have already been consumed and the department is waiting for the CAMP 3 Bayanihan fund to be approved by the national government.

“Pending pa kay nahutdan og funds. Ipaprocess lang gihapon waiting for CAMP 3 to be approved. Once approved priority ang PWDs”, he stressed.

The DOLE-10 assured that the list of PWDs from the city will be prioritized.

Meanwhile, a representative of DSWD said the livelihood program of the department covers all citizens affected by disaster, including PWDs.

The program needs endorsement from the CSWD to be validated based on DSWD guidelines and to avoid duplication, she added.

Aside from giving financial assistance, the DSWD also distributes food packs to constituents, she said.

Councilor Lordan Suan was also present during the meeting