MESSAGE OF CHAIRMAN ATTY. FRANCIS N. TOLENTINO
CELEBRATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES
3 DECEMBER 2012 MMDA GROUNDS, MAKATI CITY
MAGANDANG UMAGA SA INYONG LAHAT.
NGAYONG ARAW AY GINUGUNITA NATIN ANG INTERNATIONAL DAY FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES, HALOS ISANG BILYONG TAONG MAY KAPANSANAN NA NA HUMIGIT KUMULANG AY KINSE PORSYENTO NG POPULASYON SA BUONG MUNDO AYON SA WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION REPORT.
BILANG BAHAGI NG PAGDIRIWANG NATIN SA ARAW NA ITO, PAPARANGALAN NATIN ANG MGA TAONG NANGUNA SA INTERNATIONAL BRAILLE READING COMPETITION AT SA GLOBAL INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY CHALLENGE FOR YOUTH WITH DISABILITIES. ITO PO AY PATUNAY NA WALA DAPAT MAGING HADLANG SA ANUMANG TALENTO O KAKAYAHAN NA MERON TAYO. CONGRATULATIONS PO.
PERSON WITH DISABILITIES OFTEN FACES MANY TYPES OF BARRIERS IN LIFE BUT THEIR PERSEVERANCE IS REMARKABLE. THESE BARRIERS MAY BE IN THE FORM OF BARRIERS IN THE PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT, BARRIERS RELATING TO INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY, OR EVEN BARRIERS EFFECTED BY LAWS OR POLICY, BE IT DIRECT OR INDIRECT.
PERO ANG MAS MAHIRAP NA HADLANG UPANG MABUHAY SILA NG NORMAL KATULAD NG IBANG TAO AY ANG DI PANTAY NA PAGTANGGAP O DISKRIMINASYON SA KANILA NG LIPUNAN. KUNG SUSURIIN NATIN MAS HIGIT SIALNG KAHANGA HANGA. BIGYAN NATIN SILA NG ATING PANG-UNAWA.
THE UNITED NATIONS CONVENTION ON THE RIGHTS OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES RECOGNIZED THE IMPORTANT NEED TO REMOVE ALL FORMS OF BARRIERS AND DISCRIMINATION AND TO PROMOTE ACCESS AMONG OUR DIFFERENTLY BROTHERS AND SISTERS. THIS WE FULLY SUPPORT.
FOR THIS YEAR’S CELEBRATION, WE ADOPTED THE THEM “REMOVING BARRIERS TO CREATE AN INCLUSIVE AND ACCESSIBLE SOCIETY FOR ALL”. IT IS THEREFORE OUR SINCERE HOPE THAT IN THE REMOVAL OF THESE BARRIERS, WE WILL HELP THEM PARTICIPATE EFFECTIVELY IN THE SOCIETY.
MMDA, AS CHAIR OF THE NATIONAL WORKING COMMITTEE WITH THE HELP OF THE NATIONAL COUNCIL ON DISABILITY AFFAIRS WHERE MMDA ACTIVELY PARTICIPATES, IS DOING OUR SHARE IN PROMOTING THE WELFARE OF OUR PWDs IN OUR PROGRAMS. ONE OF WHICH IS THE PROVISION OF RAMPS AND MAN LIFT IN THE DESIGN OF OUR FOOTBRIDGES. WE ARE ALSO PROMOTING ACCESSIBILITY THROUGH OUR BICYCLES LANES, OUR BUS STOPS AND IN OUR OTHER ROAD INFRASTRUCTURE PROGRAMS.
AT THIS JUNCTURE, I CALL UPON EVERYONE, THE STAKEHOLDERS AND ALL OUR PARTNER AGENCIES, NON-GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATIONS, AND CIVIL SOCIETY, LET US ALL WORK TOGETHER TO PROMOTE THE WELFARE AND ACCESSIBLITY OF OUR PWDs, SA PAG-UNLAD, WALA PONG DAPAT MAIWAN.
SAMASAMA TAYONG LAHAT SA PAGBABAGYO. MARAMING SALAMAT PO SA INYONG LAHAT.