DAVAO CITY – The Regional Committee on Disability Affairs (RCDA-11) has readied various activities for the persons with disabilities in the region to celebrate the 39th National Disability Prevention and Rehabilitation (NDPR) Week.

The activities are aligned with this year’s theme: “Karapatan Pribilehiyo ng Maykapansanan: Isakatuparan at Ipaglaban.”

The celebration at the regional level will kick off on July 19 (Wednesday) with a motorcade involving all members of RCDA-11 composing of various national government agencies, local government units, peoples organizations, civil society organizations, and private sector.

The motorcade to start at Magsaysay Ave. in Davao City will proceed to the Royal Mandaya Hotel where a Products Exhibit and Skills Demonstration will be opened and a forum on different Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) laws and policies will take place.

Cynthia Umbana, Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD-11) focal person to RCDA-11, said the product exhibit which will be open for public viewing and selling, will feature jewelry enterprise, banana chips, rattan and wood crafts, dagmay indigenous crafts, ADAP Wrought and Iron products and children with disability paintings.

Aside from the products exhibit, she said there will also be free skills demonstration on beauty care, hair and make-up, computer demo for visually and hearing impaired, solar light making and waste reuse by 2016 international winner.

Umbana added that the forum to be held in the afternoon of July 19, will specifically tackle on the Guidelines for the Issuance of PWD IDs, Republic Act 10754 or the Act of Expanding the Benefits and Privileges of PWDs, Care for the Caregivers, and updates from the National Committee on Disability Affairs (NCDA) and National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC).

While the forum is ongoing, PWDs will showcase their sports skills during the conduct of Larong Pinoy to be held at the Summit Bar of the Royal Mandaya Hotel.

Among the featured games is chess which will be participated by orthopedic, visually impaired and deaf contenders from the five provinces of the region and Davao City.

Another sports games are swimming and table tennis which will be joined by orthopedic (amputees) PWDs in wheelchair or standing.

There will also be a dance and song competition involving children with disabilities called “Sayawitan” to take place simultaneously with the other activities on July 19 at the 9th floor Lantawan Room of same hotel.

The Parents Mobilization Action Group (PMAG) Davao City Chapter will handle the “Sayawitan” which will feature a song solo, modern dance and ethnic dance.

According to Republic Act No. 7277 or the Magna Carta for Disabled Persons, the RCDA is a “strategy adopted by the National Council on Disability Affairs at the regional level which serves as a mechanism for convergence and resource sharing in the implementation of programs, projects and services for PWDs.” (PIA-11/Carina L. Cayon)