NCDA lauds the issuance of IRR on RA 10524

The National Council on Disability Affairs (NCDA) lauds the issuance of the ImplementingRules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act No. 10524 entitled “An Act Expanding thePositions Reserved for Persons with Disability, Amending for the Purpose Republic Act No.7277, As Amended, Otherwise Known as the Magna Carta for Persons with Disability,” which isset to be signed by the respective stakeholders today, June 17, 2016.

RA 10524 which was approved into law, requires that at least one percent (1%) of all regular andnon-regular positions in all government agencies, offices or corporations shall be reserved forpersons with disabilities (PWDs).It also encourages private corporations with more than 100employees to reserve at least one percent (1%) of all positions for PWDs.

Among the implementing agencies of the said law include the Department of Social Welfare andDevelopment (DSWD), Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Department of Health(DOH), Civil Service Commission (CSC), Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) and GovernanceCommission for Government-Owned or Controlled Corporations and NCDA.

Carmen R. Zubiaga, Acting Executive Director of NCDA, said that the signing of the IRR“is another milestone in our goal to establish better and equal opportunity for employment forPWDs. She stressed that under Section 5 of the Republic Act No. 7277 otherwise known as theMagna Carta for Persons with Disabilities, provides that “No persons with disability shall bedenied access to opportunities for suitable employment;” and that “a qualified employee withdisability shall be subject to the same terms and conditions of employment and the samecompensation, privileges, benefits, fringe benefits, incentives or allowances as a qualified ablebodied person.”

Under the law, the NCDA in coordination with DOLE and CSC shall take the lead roles inensuring the full implementation of RA 10524, specifically, the law requires for NCDA willconsolidate and analyze the data on employed PWDs coming from these two agencies andmaintain a database that is transparent and accessible to all PWDs. In addition, NCDA willstrengthen referral services to ensure availability of data to stakeholders and services to PWD,including provision of assistive devices.
RA 10524 was signed by President Benigno Aquino III on April 13, 2013. ###