Be True to Your ‘Disabled-friendly’ Tag

The persons with disabilities (PWDs) who aired complaints against employment discrimination and non-payment of wages against the Bacolod City mayor and several others said there is no politics behind their moves. Lowell Tabat Raner, one of the PWD-complainants, insisted that they were promised to be paid, not work as volunteers.

Calling on the Bacolod City Hall’s award as a Disabled Friendly LGU in the Philippines, Raner said their moves are not politically-motivated “for the main reason that we have been doing our efforts to be paid since the last quarter of 2007 up to now.”

“We were promised to be paid, not work as volunteers as approved during the meeting of the City Council for the Welfare of Disabled Persons (CCWDP) at the City’s Department of Social Services and Development (DSSD),” Raner said in a press statement to NDB.

“We attended the CCWDP meeting, that is why we worked with the presumption that we will be paid because the Council has its own budget of P800,000,” he added. In the same statement, he said that “regarding the misappropriation issue, we complained because everytime we pass our proposals for the activities of PWDs, DSSD will answer us `no budget’.

But we were suprised that the budget was used to other sectors like repair of anti-mendicancy jeep, pamaskua, trainings, etc.”

“What we are asking from the city is a kind consideration and support that we worked despite our conditions, that we borrowed money for our fare and food, and respect for our rights and privileges as citizens of this city which was awarded as Most Disabled Friendly LGU in the country.”

Raner said he is ready to answer questions about their grievances and is even inviting the public as well as the media to contact him at 7095587 or through 09197 604523.*