ASP Joins International PWD Day Celebration

The Autism Society Philippines (ASP) joined the whole world in celebrating the International Day of Persons with Disabilities on 03 December 2012.

ASP Chair Emeritus Dang Koe, Treasurer, Evelyn Go and Executive Director Ranil Sorongon with Ms. Jane Gonzales of ASP Mandaluyong City joined the persons with disabilities, government agencies, non government organizations and advocates of PWD at the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) grounds to celebrate the event.

PWDs raising their hand during ceremony

Under Secretary Corazon Jimenez of MMDA welcomed the participants and guests while Director Carmen Zubiaga of the National Council on Disability Affairs (NCDA) and USec Parisya Taradji of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) gave their respective messages.

PWDs also showcased their talents to prove that they can also do things or sometimes do it better than persons without disabilities. Tahanan Walang Hagdanan Dancers on Wheel Chairs and the Philippine School for the Blind Tinikling dancers amazed the audience of their skills in dancing. The audiences were in awe watching them dance with grace and confidence.

A PWD accessible pedestrian crossing with audio warning device for the blind and deaf was launched at the MMDA ground for demonstration. Three accessible pedestrian crossings will be installed at the corner of Aurora Boulevard and J.P. Rizal Street in Project 4, and near Isetann mall, both in Cubao, Quezon City, and at Santolan Road corner Marcos Highway in Pasig City in the coming months.

A ribbon cutting to open of the Photo Exhibit followed after the launching. Photos of the different government agencies in action and a proto type classroom courtesy of the Department of Public Works and Highways were displayed. The exhibit will be brought to Ever Commonwealth to give a chance to the shoppers to view the exhibit.

A press conference courtesy of the Philippine Information Agency gave the different government agencies a chance to affirm their commitment to the PWD sector. A better LRT, MRT and transportation services from DOTC, a responsive traffic enforcers from MMDA, more social services for PWDs from DWSD and a more active NCDA that will truly serve the sector were among the commitments of the representatives of the respective agencies.

Simultaneous lectures on “Assisting Pedestrians with Disabilities” were done in three different venues with the local traffic enforcers as participants in the afternoon. Three ASP speakers gave a lecture on Understanding and Assisting Pedestrians with Autism, Chair Emeritus Dang Koe at MMDA, President Janette Peña in Mandaluyong City and ASP Auditor Grace Adviento in Quezon City. The lectures aim to provide traffic enforcers with knowledge about autism and how to assist persons with autism. The lectures will also be done in the different cities of Metro Manila in the coming days. A forum on “Access to Social Service of PWDs” was also done at SM City Marikina headed by the Philippine Association of Rehabilitation (PARM). Director Sorongon and Teacher My represented ASP at the forum.

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