PRC to distribute cash grants to PWDs

Cdisabilities ITY OF SAN FERNANDO---With persons with among the sectors hardest hit by the economic effects of the Coronavirus disease 2019 or COVID-19 pandemic, the Philippine Red Cross will distributed cash grants to the most vulnerable among PWDs to help them cope.

Senator Richard J. Gordon, PRC chairman and CEO, said a number of PWDs such as the blind and the paraplegic are among those who lost their livelihood when the enhanced community quarantine was imposed to stem the further spread of the disease.

“Isa sila sa mga most vulnerable sa ating mga kababayan. Dahil sa kanilang kapansanan, disadvantaged na sila kahit noong wala pa itong COVID. Dahil sa pandemic mas naging mahirap ang kalagayan nila at hanggang ngayon, hindi pa rin malinaw kung kelan sila makakabalik sa mga dating hanapbuhay nila,” he sai d.

In line with this, Gordon instructed the administrator of the PRC

Cebu Chapter 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 assi st an ce.

“Tulungan niyo po ako kasi wala na po kaming makain ng aking pamilya. Bulag po ako at ang pagmamasahe po ang hanapbuhay ko dati na pinagkukuhanan ng pang-gastos namin. Hindi ko pa po alam kung kelan kami mapapayagang magmasahe ulit. Maraming salamat po,” he said in a text message.

“Tinawagan ko siya kasi nagulat pa ako. Nung tinanong ko siya kung paano sya nakapagtext kung bulag siya. Sabi niya sa ‘kin, pwede na pong magsalita sa mga phone.

Noong nagpunta naman kami sa Antipolo noong Biyernes, may isang naka-wheelchair na lumapit sa akin at nagpakilala na siya daw ‘yung tinutulungan ng asawa kong si Kate sa Tahanang Wal ang Hagdan dati at ngayon ay volunteer siya sa Red

Cross. Kaya dapat talagang isama sa mga bibigyan ng assistance ang mga bulag, paraplegic o iba pang mga PWD, lalo na ‘yung mga gumagawa ng lahat para lang maitawid nila ang kanilang mga pamilya sa COVID,” the PRC chairman stressed.

In a related development, the country will start a week-long observance of the National Disability Prevention and Rehabilitation Week on July 17.

Proclamation No. 361, declared the third week of July as the National Disability Prevention and Rehabilitation Week which shall culminate on the birthdate of the sublime paralytic: Apolinario Mabini on July 23 each year. (PR)