DAVAO DEL NORTE (PIA)- The sector of persons with disability in Davao del Norte  presses attention on  the resolution passed by the  Provincial Council on Disability Affairs (PCDA) calling on local chief executives to include the PCDA  among the signatories in issuing local building permits.

Guesting in  the latest edition of the Kapihan sa DavNor, Provincial  Disability Affairs Officer (PDAO)-designate Larry Ablen revealed that still a number of buildings in Davao del Norte including public buildings, have yet to comply with the accessibility requirement of the Accessibility Law or Batas Pambansa Bilang 344.

PB 344  or “The Act to Enhance the Mobility of Disabled Persons by Requiring Certain Buildings, Institutions, Establishments and Other Public Utilities to Install Facilities and Other Devices” provide the  accessibility requirement to facilitate mobility of persons with disabilities.

The PCDA resolution was aimed at counter-checking non-compliance to the Accessibility Law, Ablen said.

Citing the last inter-agency audit-inspection that the PCDA conducted prior to the pandemic period, Ablen said some buildings were not fitted with disability features.

“Ang among (our) concern, daghan wala pa jud napatuman sa (many are still not implemented in the) Accessibility Law,” he said during the latest Kapihan sa DavNor in  line  with the 44th  National Disability Prevention and Rehabilitation Week.

Ablen also said that two-storey buildings are now required to an Elevator  as part of the accessibility requirement.

Disability Affairs Officer (DAO) Joy Lumangtad of Davao del Norte Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office, during the same forum said that PCDA also pointed out the need for high-rise school buildings to have elevators.

As focal on Disability Affairs program of PSWDO, Lumangtad  also took the opportunity for the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and entities on infrastructure development, to make sure that road  and building constructions  should be compliant with the accessibility requirements of BP 344.

“Atong panawagan na kung pwede ang kalsada butangan nato drop off areas for PWDs and elderly, nga makadagan ang wheelchair  for the elderly and the PWDs, and those with assistive device (We would like to call that if possible we can put on our roads, drop off areas for PWDs  and the elderly where their wheelchair and other assistive devices can pass),” she said also referring to the blind. (PIA XI/Jeanevive Duron-Abangan)