By Cricel B. Elises, Administrative Assistant
After the successful visit of the National Working Committee in 2011 in Carmona, Cavite, the group decided to visit Mandaluyong City last January 24, 2012 to know and experience its Community-Based Rehabilitation (CBR) program as part of the 16th National Autism Consciousness Week Celebration. ASP was represented by Ms. Mary Grace L. Adviento, President, Mr. Ranil Sorongon, Executive Director and the author. Mandaluyong City is a recipient of the 2011 Most Child-Friendly Highly Urbanized City. It was the first city to establish the PDAO or the Person with Disability Affairs Office, even before the PDAO law or RA 100070 was signed into law April last 2010.
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| The Person with Disability Affairs Office |
This award-winning city is headed by Benjamin C. Abalos, Jr., who was recently awarded as Outstanding City Mayor and Local Government Leadership Award (LGLA) by the Philippine Senate.
Among the places that the group visited in the past years, this one left a mark that we will always remember. It was just here that we were welcomed by a band with matching garland made and given to by children with disabilities. The group was then led to the mayor’s conference room for an orientation on Project TEACH or Therapy, Education, Assimilation of Children of Children with Handicap and the Center for Alternative Rehabilitation and Educational Services (C.A.R.E.S). The project caters to indigent children with disabilities of the city. It was conceived through the collaboration of the Local Government of Mandaluyong City, headed by the Hon. Mayor Abalos and the Rehabilitation and Empowerment of Adults and Children with Handicap (REACH) Foundation Inc. headed by Prof. Abelardo I. David Jr. MOccThy, OTRP.
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| Prof. Abelardo I. David Jr. |
It primarily advocates early intervention to promote optimum functioning of the child. It provides physical, occupational, speech therapy and SPED services geared towards promoting independence and improving the child’s quality of life.
The clinic has its principles and policies rooted on the Community-Based Model which promotes empowerment of the client and the family towards community integration. The family members, healthcare and education providers, as well as the community work together to ensure that opportunities are given to the client to maximize their potentials and have a better quality of life. Transfer of learning is made possible through the presence of professionals who work closely with dedicated community workers and volunteers.
Their objectives are to provide continuously training activities to community volunteers to enable them to actively participate in the implementation of therapy and educational services. Develop administrative policies and procedures to ensure the efficient delivery of therapy and special educational services in center and home-based settings. Refer the children identified to be suspected of having disability to the local DSWD for eligibility screening. Deliver the following OT, PT, SP and SPED services, in collaboration with partner agencies as necessary.
ASP President Ms. Grace Adviento gave a mother and child sculpture done by Franco Cagayat, a person with autism a PWA from Paete, Laguna as token of appreciation for welcoming the members of National Working Committee of the 16th National Consciousness Week to Mayor Abalos.
After the orientation the group rode the tiger bus for a visit to Isaac Lopez Elementary School (ILES) SPED center to observe the classes and also see the Kitchen Specials where some adolescents with disabilities are trained to develop vocational skills like cooking, baking and packing among others. We were treated with cookies and pastries, courtesy of the Kitchen’s Special.
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| PWDs baking and cooking cookies and pastries |
From ILES, we proceeded to the Center for Alternative Rehabilitation and Educational Services (C.A.R.E.S) to see the actual therapy performed by professional therapists as well as trained volunteers of the city. After our observation, we were treated to a sumptuous lunch prepared by the students with developmental disabilities of the Independent Living Learning Center (ILLC).
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| ASP National President Mary Grace Adviento with Prof. Archie David |
With its innovative programs and services for persons with disabilities that brought honor to the city, Mandaluyong City is just a vibrant Tiger City but a trail blazer in “Making the Rights Real of Filipinos with Autism”.
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| The 16th National Working Committee |
Mandaluyong truly cares! We like to thank Mayor Benhur Abalos, Jr., Mr. Orcar Arceo of PDAD and his staff, Prof. Achie David, the parents as well as the children with disabilities for welcoming us.
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