By ELLEN T. TORDESILLAS GOING the rounds in Facebook is a post by Candy Chan in Astig.Ph about a vehicle by a mayor that was parked in a slot reserved for Persons with Disabilities at Bay 4 of NAIA3. When the security guard called the attention of the man who came out of
IN 2008, on its centennial, the University of the Philippines formally developed the Special UP College Admission Test (UPCAT) in an attempt to implement the mandate on accessible education provided in the Magna Carta for Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) and the university’s own charter. The Special UPCAT is designed to improve opportunities for PWDs to take
By JHESSET THRINA O. ENANO WITH a notebook in hand, Caldwell Jones Reynaldo sits near the entrance of a college library at the University of the Philippines Diliman. Its pages are filled with his scribbled thoughts, alongside conversations with his classmates and friends. His Facebook page, meanwhile, is filled with his art. His profile picture is
Text and photos by YVONNE T. CHUA AT 10:30 a.m., the hotel emergency alarm went off, signaling the start of Thursday’s “Shake Drill” designed to prepare Metro Manilans for a 7.2 magnitude earthquake or the “Big One.” Many of the 30 or so guests meeting at the hotel’s fifth-floor function room quickly stood up and
By JOHN FRANCES C. FUENTES DAVAO CITY—Wheelchair user Florencio Timkang lost his person with disabilities (PWD) card four years ago. The 67-year-old candle seller outside the San Pedro church here wants to apply for a replacement card. He said he wants to avail himself of the discounts PWDs are entitled to once they have a
THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) will conduct special satellite registration for voters living within the proposed Bangsamoro Core Territory ahead of a possible plebiscite in the region. The election body issued in December a resolution instructing election officers to conduct special registration of voters in 204 barangays in Tawi-Tawi, Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao, Sulu, Basilan,
By JOHN PAUL ECARMA MAUNES CEBU CITY— It is a typical morning rush in a community public school in Barangay Bulacao, Pardo in Cebu City. Students lugging heavy schoolbags head towards their classrooms in a hurry, some with parents in tow. In one particular classroom, the scene is even more chaotic: 15 students, aged 14
By PATRICK KING PASCUAL “DENVER” (not his real name) is HIV-positive. He has been an outpatient at one of the HIV/AIDS treatment hubs in Manila for seven years already. And he just learned recently that he can avail some benefits and privileges from the government. “I cannot blame them for not orienting us, the
By MELISSA LUZ LOPEZ Photos by MARIO IGNACIO IV IN 2008, athlete Marilou Deniega competed in the ASEAN Paralympic Games held in Thailand. She played boccia, a ball sport designed for persons with cerebral palsy. Deniega, a first timer in the Para Games, failed to bring home a medal, having trained for only a
By MELISSA LUZ LOPEZ FOR nearly 20 years, government agencies have tried to come up with a consolidated list of Filipinos with disabilities, but to no avail. An organization of persons with disabilities composed of throat cancer survivors hopes to finally create this national database by working with hundreds of PWD organizations all over the
