PWD get cash from Red Cross
Over a hundred persons with disabilities (PWD) from the Rizal province recently received P3,500 cash aid each from the Philippine Red Cross (PRC).
This is part of the private humanitarian
group’s multipurpose cash grant program for the most vulnerable families severely affected by the two-month long enhanced community quarantine (ECQ).
The lockdown resulted in an economic shutdown and increased rate of unemployment in the country.
Beneficiaries of the financial assistance program are families which weren’t able to receive any governmental cash aid during the ECQ like the Social Amelioration Program (SAP).
They belong to the most vulnerable sectors of our society. The pandemic gave them an even more difficult situation and until now, we don’t know when they can return to their livelihood.
Virginia Montilla, head of the Persons with Disabilities Affairs Office (PDAO) in Cainta, Rizal, told
Daily Tribune that the cash aid is a huge help for the PWD whose needs are more complex.
“The PWD were not qualified to receive the SAP, so the financial assistance from the Red Cross will really help them to be able to purchase medicines, especially for their maintenance medication,” Montilla said.
The PDAO-Cainta chief added that PWD in the area ranged from infants to senior citizens.
“Since the typhoon ‘Ondoy’ in 2009, Red Cross has been very active in coordinating with the local government unit of Rizal, particularly here in PDAO. They have been conducting various training and development programs for the PWD here,” she said.
It was Kate Gordon, the wife of Senator Richard Gordon (PRC’s chairman), who has been leading the development programs of the PWD, especially of the women, Montilla shared.
“I met Ma’am Kate Gordon when I was in the
Tahanang Walang Hagdanan. Since then, we have been communicating about the ways we can do as support for the PWD sector,” she said.
Aside from this, Montilla thanked the PRC as the PWD from Rizal who are also dialysis patients get the opportunity to undergo treatment sessions for free at PRC’s dialysis centers.
“I want to encourage my fellow PWD not to linger on their disability and physical limitations but on their ability, capability, skills and talents. I always tell our PWD whenever we do advocacy works and services that the PWD can now be a partner in the development of our community and our nation as a whole,” Montilla said.
Meanwhile, Sen. Gordon said the PRC will continue distributing cash grants to PWD in different cities affected by the ECQ.
The PWD were not qualified to receive the SAP, so the financial assistance from the Red Cross will really help them to be able to purchase medicines, especially for their maintenance medication.
He recognized that a number of PWD like the blind and the paraplegic are among those who lost their livelihood when the ECQ was imposed.
“They belong to the most vulnerable sectors of our society. The pandemic gave them an even more difficult situation and until now, we don’t know when they can return to their livelihood,” said the senator.
In line with this, the PRC chairman instructed PRC Cebu chapter administrator Atty. Maria Vera de Jesus last Monday to provide relief goods and cash assistance to a blind man in Liloan, Cebu, who sent a text message to the PRC chairman, soliciting assistance.