PRESIDENT Benigno Simeon Aquino III has signed into law the bill exempting persons with disabilities (PWDs) from the value-added tax (VAT). “According to PLLO (Presidential Legislative Liaison Office) Undersecretary Bernardito Sayo, President Aquino signed Republic Act No. 10754 last March 23,” said Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. in a text message to
By MARIA FEONA IMPERIAL A former lawmaker is facing criticism for his insensitive remarks on the alleged special treatment given to persons with disabilities (PWDs) in verifying their votes through the voice prompt feature of vote counting machines (VCMs). Former Biliran representative Glenn Chong questioned the Commission on Elections (Comelec) for allowing people with visual
By MARIA FEONA IMPERIAL NOT one voter with disability showed up in the only mall precinct used in yesterday’s countrywide mock elections. To disability advocates, the zero PWD turnout defeated the primary purpose of the Commission on Elections’ (Comelec) mall-voting initiative. But the poll body insists mall voting was not intended for people with disabilities
[metaslider id=33666] Text and photos by MARIA FEONA IMPERIAL WHAT are the features of an accessible polling place (APP) for voters with disabilities? The Commission on Elections on Saturday set up the Pura V. Kalaw Elementary School in Cubao, Quezon City as a mockup accessible precinct to show how an APP for the 2016 presidential elections
By MARIA FEONA IMPERIAL and LALA ORDENES DESPITE efforts of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) and civil society to get eligible persons with disabilities to register, vote and do it with ease, the number of registered voters with disabilities for the May elections has slipped 14 percent from the 2013 polls. Comelec’s “No Bio, No
By JAKE SORIANO THE annual Angels Walk for Autism reached new heights Sunday. A record crowd of 15,000 people, bigger than last year’s number, attended the event at the SM Mall of Asia Arena, and among them were around a hundred guests from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) region and Japan. “We have
By VERLIE Q. RETULIN MALL voting may provide ease and convenience to persons with disabilities (PWDs) and senior citizens, but it is not the proper solution to address accessibility problems, Commission on Elections (Comelec) chair Andres Bautista said on Monday. During the second public hearing on the transfer of certain polling precincts to malls, Bautista
THE Senate and House of Representatives Bicameral Conference Committee approved a bill Dec. 15 exempting persons with disabilities (PWDs) from paying the value added tax (VAT). The said exemption would be on top of the 20 percent discount on, among others, medicines, hospital and laboratory services, and transport fares PWDs are entitled to under the
Puzzle Café, which Canoy and her siblings set up in Quezon City a year ago, aims to raise awareness on autism and train persons with developmental disabilities for employment.
By JAKE SORIANO Early and adequate information dissemination about the planned mall voting next year would be key to its success. This was what persons with disabilities (PWDs) told the Commission on Elections (Comelec) during a public consultation Friday, while expressing general support for the initiative. “The general feeling of persons with disabilities is that
