PWD, senior parking slots sought

PARKING slots for Senior Citizens and Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) is being sought in the council.

In a proposed ordinance by Councilor Edgar Avila, commercial and government establishments and offices in the city are being pushed to provide vehicular space allotment within their parking areas exclusively for both sectors.

“Considering the daily voluminous number of vehicles that enter and park in establishments, offices, government or otherwise and considering that seeking a space is a discomfort to our seniors and PWD's, there is a need to provide them with comfort and ease,” Avila said.

If approved, the new local law assures parking spaces for the elderly, the differently abled especially the physically incapacitated.

“Local Government Units are mandated to establish mechanisms to assist them as marginalized sectors of our society and manifest our appreciation and recognition of their contributions,” Avila noted.

Avila cited the ‘Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2010 or Republic Act 9994,’ and similarly Republic Act No. 7277 or the ‘Magna Carta for Persons with Disability’ which mandates local Government Units to adopt measures where the seniors and the PWDS are recognized to

take their proper places in society and thus take responsibility in giving full support to their improvement and total wellbeing.

“They have the same rights as everyone else as we encourage them to live normally and independently which must not only be the concern of family or the community but also of government by itself.”

Under the proposed law, areas will be designated and labelled as “Senior Citizens and Persons with Disabilities Parking Space."

The measure passed its first reading in this week’s regular council session.

Senior citizens, particularly the Blessed Association of Retired Persons Baguio Foundation [BARP] alone has over 10,000 active members and retirees spread throughout the city, other parts of the Cordilleras, La Union, Nueva Vizcaya, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Pangasinan and Metro Manila.

There is no solid database for the number of PWD’s in the city.