Lianne Rose L.

Santos Filipino Psychology

BSP 2-1 October 21, 2019

Cavite State University: “PWDs I am your friend”

“Only 6 out of 10 LGUs had a PDAO” this was the statement released by Dr. Erwin
Alampay, project head of the study on PWDs when his team presented their findings to
government representatives in Sequoia Hotel in Quezon City.

It goes without saying that laws have already been implemented in the Philippines
regarding the safety of and assistance to Persons with Disabilities (PWDs). However, in the
study by Dr. Alampay it was found out that the Philippines is still far from being a PWD-
inclusive country.

Laws have been made but they are not properly implemented. It is the harsh reality
that we are a PWD-recognizing country but not yet a PWD-friendly nation.

The Cavite State University had already cemented its legacy as a haven for academic
nurturing that inspires its students’ growth. As a student in this institution I believe that the
administration will be more than willing to make CvSU a friend of the PWDs.

PWDs are recognized throughout the country; they are given discounts on services,
and they are prioritized in most cases. However, it is not enough that although such things
exist, there are still rare cases of PWDs being unable to find jobs because of their condition/s,
PWDs being discriminated/bullied, and PWDs being refused in certain situations.

In the long run, this problem may pose issues in the credibility of the country with
regards to how we treat our citizens. A good credibility regarding treatment of the PWDs
means more people wanting to visit the country or perhaps invest in businesses here due to
the fact that they believe we are able to care for the people that stays and visits our beloved
Philippines.

I want to help out as much as I can. As a student, I believe that in order to create the
country into a PWD-friendly nation, we should first begin to teach the children to be friends
of PWDs and that will begin at their respective schools.

Cavite State University being a friend of the PWDs can be achieved by:

 Having seminars for students, parents, teachers, and staff members that discuss the
proper treatment to PWDs.
 Strengthening rules and regulations about bullying especially to students or visitors
that are PWDs.
 Having promotional paraphernalia (around the institution) that include “What does
PWD mean?” “How to be friends of PWDs?” and etc.
 Encouraging other schools to become friends of PWDs as well.
 While governmental efforts have already been made for the recognition of PWDs in
our society, we are still far from making the whole nation a friend of PWDs. The main
problem is that there are still people who do not accept the PWDs for their own reasons—and
this should stop. This ripple may cause an effect that reverberates throughout the whole
nation by making the youth friends of PWDs, there is a big chance that they will carry on
such a legacy—this is what my project envisions.

Simply put, the project “Cavite State University: “PWDs I am your friend” is more
than just a statement. It is an action to put an end to the discrimination suffered by our fellow
PWD Filipinos. These acts are not seen by the public because they are too little to be visible.
However, we should start to prevent such acts before they even begin to pose major threats. It
is in being friends of PWDs that we will achieve this.

References:

https://www.rappler.com/move-ph/205726-pwd-inclusive-ph-study-pdao-up-erwin-
alampay