The agency celebrates the 20th Women with Disability Day (WDD) with the theme
Lipunang Patas sa Bagong Pilipinas: Kakayahan ng Kababaihang may Kapansanan,
Patutunayan! It aims to feature inspiring women with disabilities for their resilience,
achievements, and contributions to their communities.
Pursuant to Proclamation No. 744, declaring the last Monday of March of Every Year
as Women with Disabilities Day, DSWD 7 reminds the public of the programs and
services available for women with disabilities.
To advocate for the celebration, the PWD welfare sector hosted an orientation on
Republic Act 11313, or the Safe Spaces Act, also known as Bawal Bastos Law,
among the trainees and staff of the Area Vocational Rehabilitation Center (AVRC) II.
It allows the participants to address gender-based sexual harassment, both online
and offline, while promoting equal respect for all individuals, regardless of their
gender or disabilities.
On the same day, PWD focal person Margie D. Pinton joined the celebration of the
WWD of LGU Mandaue City by promoting the training courses offered by AVRC II,
while a special gathering of women members of the Regional Federation of Persons
with Disabilities (RFPWD) was hosted by AVRC II to honor their contributions to the
sector.
Both activities aim to spread awareness of the celebration and recognize women
leaders and advocates who continue to push for the rights of their fellow PWDs.
The Day’s celebration is also an opportunity for the agency to highlight programs for
the sector through a radio interview that talked about the celebration and
interventions provided by DSWD 7.
Vocational Rehabilitation
AVRC II, a non-residential facility
situated in Brgy. Labangon, Cebu City,
caters to PWD in the three (3) Visayas
regions through the provision of
vocational rehabilitation to individuals
who are willing to undergo skills,
livelihood improvement, and
employability training
The facility aims to help PWDs,
especially women with disabilities,
establish sustainable and independent
living after a one-year helping process. It also caters to women in especially difficult
circumstances, or WEDCs, like victim-survivors of abuse, particularly those referred
to from other facilities.
Free training courses are offered, such as computer systems servicing; electronics
products assembly and servicing; basic cosmetology, which includes beauty, nail,
and hair care; massage therapy; dressmaking; commercial cooking, which includes
bread and pastry production and food processing and preservation; and domestic
work like housekeeping and food and beverage preparation, all of which are
equivalent to the national certification acquired from the Technical Education and
Skills Development Authority (TESDA).
Alongside are psychosocial support and gratuity pay to cover food, lodging, and
transportation needs while undergoing rehabilitation.
Basic braille classes and sign language sessions are also offered to those with no
formal training and forced savings to teach them the basics of financial literacy.
“We want our trainees to become proactive members of their community by leading
their families, supporting their own needs and those of their families, and potentially
becoming catalysts for empowering other PWDs or even non-PWDs,” said Pinton
during the radio interview.
Pinton, who heads the facility’s social services section, shared that through a
comprehensive helping process, AVRC II puts the best interests of trainees first by
helping them decide which path they want to take, either for livelihood or
employment.
Rehabilitative care includes an assessment of what kind of training course will be
appropriate for them and other social interventions such as medical, psychological,
and other services needed by a PWD.
To be admitted to the facility, they can go to their LGUs, either through Social
Welfare and Development Office or Persons with Disability Affairs Office, to get a
referral and prepare their social case summary report to assess them what other
support they need, like financial assistance or medical examinations, which are
prerequisites upon admission. They may also walk into the facility from Monday to
Friday between 8am to 5pm.
Opportunities
“Sa wala pa ko misulod sa AVRC II, daghan ang wala nidasig nako nga wala koy
paingnan kay gawas sa babaye ko, tiguwang na ko, ug aduna pud koy apan sa
panglawas. Pero dili kini babag aron molihok ko ug mangita og kaayohan para sa
akong kaugalingon,” said Victoria Agudo, a 59-year old dressmaking trainee.
After her training, Agudo started her sewing business at home by accepting orders
from neighbors and other referrals to meet her daily sustenance. This came after she
received a brand-new sewing machine from the rewards system of the facility.
The rewards system is a mechanism employed by AVRC II to encourage productivity
among the trainees with no absenteeism and/or compliance with various training
requirements. The reward is given at the end of the training period and these usually
come in the form of resources or equipment for livelihood opportunities that will aid
them towards sustainable and independent living.
Both acThe goal of AVRC II is to improve individual well-being so that PWDs can stand on
their own after their rehabilitation and this can be done through the training courses
along with values formation, social interaction, and capacity-building. Most
importantly, for PWDs to accept and acknowledge their inherent disabilities by
providing them with dignity so they can live freely and equally just like others.
Suzette Juico, a 46 year-old hearing impaired, is one of the trainees of a commercial
cooking program. She shared that the experience she got from the facility is a
stepping stone for her to be employed for the first time and hopefully gain enough
savings so she can start her own business one day.
Aside from that, she also shared that the outputs or products from their daily session,
like 'merienda' or snacks, were sold to fellow trainees or even staff of the facility.
Their earnings on top of the gratuity she received helped her during the training
period.
"Niangat ang akong pagpuyo isip usa ka PWD. Pinaagi sa akong mga nakat-unan
nga pwede nakong magamit sa pag-negosyo pohon, dili sab ka nila pasagdan kay
motabang sila sa pagpangita og trabaho o employer para nimo," she happily shared
about the manpower placement feature of AVRC II.
Like Agudo, she also received a reward from the facility. "Sobra pa sa makina akong
nadawat. Hearing aid nga nagkantidad og Php 50,000 nga akong gipangandoy,"
The agency aims that no PWDs will be left behind and that their families will
mainstream them in society to avail of services appropriate for them. "Let us not hide
our family members who are PWD from society. They have rights, dignity, and
potential to make their lives better and contribute to our society," Pinton encouraged
the public.
As of the first quarter of 2024, AVRC II caters to 136 trainees currently enrolled in
the facility undergoing training or on-the-job training.