ILOILO – Eighty wheelchairs and 40 assistive devices were distributed by the Iloilo Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office (PSWDO) to persons with disabilities (PWDs) from the 3rd District’s six municipalities.
The distribution was held on Thursday morning, June 8, at the municipal covered gym in Badiangan town.
Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr., together with PSWDO chief Sarah M. Barayuga, Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Region 6 director Carmelo Nochete, Department of Health Region 6’s Dr. Aimee Marie L. Gayomali, USWAG Ilonggo Party-list’s Rep. Jojo Ang, Badiangan’s Mayor Suzette Mamon, and Latter Day Saint Charities Country director Elder Jairus C. Perez, led the distribution.
Ann Rapunzel “Rara” Ganzon, Social Welfare and Development Officer 6 and focal person for PWDs of the PSWDO, said the devices included crutches (12), canes (16), walkers (three), quad canes (four), and blind canes (five).
The beneficiaries came from Mina, Pototan, Badiangan, Janiuay, Maasin, and Cabatuan.
Ganzon said there will be another batch of distribution for the remaining towns in the 3rd District such as Bingawan, Calinog, Lambunao, and Pototan.
“These essential tools will not only enhance their mobility but also empower them to function well and become active members of society,” she said, adding that “the distribution of wheelchairs and assistive devices is a remarkable milestone in Iloilo province’s social justice agenda. It symbolizes our unwavering commitment to ensure that no one is left behind. It is a testament to our belief that the progress of a society can be measured by how it uplifts and supports its most vulnerable members.”
For his part, Defensor thanked the Latter-Day Saint Charities for its continued assistance to the province.
“There are things we cannot spend our budget on because we just don’t have the capacity, and we need the private sector for that,” Defensor said.
The Latter-Day Saint Charities donated a total of 438 wheelchairs and assistive devices worth P2.9 million, which are being distributed in all districts of the province. (With a report from the Balita Halin sa Kapitolyo)/PN
