PAGALUNGAN, MAGUINDANAO — A total of 289 indigent People With Disabilities (PWDs) across the mainland provinces of the Bangsamoro region received assistive devices from the Ministry of Social Services and Development (MSSD) through its Older Persons and Persons with Disability (OPPWD) Program during the celebration of National Disability Prevention and Rehabilitation (NDPR) Week.
The celebration culminated with the distribution of 46 assistive devices to indigent PWDs of Pagalungan, Parang, and Matanog municipalities on Thursday, 05 August 2021.
Last week, 243 indigent PWDs from Maguindanao (59), Lanao del Sur A (175), Lanao del Sur B (46) and Special Geographic Area (SGA) of North Cotabato (9) received assistive devices.
Assistive devices consist of wheelchairs, quad canes or walkers, crutches, canes and folding canes.
All recipients were case-managed by field social workers and will be given the appropriate assistive devices based on their individual medical conditions.
The Ministry is set to transport 650 assistive devices to island provinces next week where 305 are for Tawi-Tawi, 245 for Basilan, and 100 for Sulu.
“Sukran sa wheelchair ko anya. Di ako r’n gapasangan lumu sa CR ka ar’n a wheelchair ko a ar’n a baguduan nin ka di ako r’n pakalakaw. (Thank you for giving me this wheelchair. It won’t be a hustle for me to go to the comfort room anymore because this wheelchair has a chamber pot)”, said Hammad, not his real name, 16 years old, a resident of Inug-ug, Pagalungan, Maguindanao who was one of the recipients of the assistive devices.
Aside from the provision of assistive devices, indigent PWDs upon qualifying the program criteria can also avail monthly stipend through the “Kalinga Para May Kapansanan Program”, seed capital fund for livelihood assistance through the “Bangsamoro Sagip Kabuhayan Program”, as well as hospital and medicine assistance through the “Bangsamoro Critical Assistance for Indigents in Response to Emergency Assistance (B-CARES)”.
PWDs particularly indigents whose incomes, sources, and access to basic social services are affected by the crisis and have exacerbated this pandemic are among the priority beneficiaries of MSSD. (Jidday Lucman, MSSD BARMM)