THE Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) will provide electronic vehicles for groups of persons with disabilities (PWDs) to start their chosen livelihood project, particularly in the transport business, Secretary Rex Gatchalian said on Sunday.
Gatchalian, who was represented by Undersecretary Monina Josefina Romualdez, led the turnover ceremony of the electric vehicles to the 20 Sustainable Livelihood Program Associations (SLPAs) of over 2,300 PWDs at the agency’s central office in Quezon City.
Implemented under the Persons with Disabilities Electric Transportation Services (PWD-ETS) project, each SLPA composed of 115 members will manage one electric vehicle, the DSWD said.
The project is in response to the directive of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to provide opportunities to PWDs to ensure they will not be left behind in development, the DSWD chief said.
The PWD-ETS was pilot implemented in 2023 with an initial 10 SLPAs as beneficiaries and was later on expanded to include 10 more from the cities of Las Piñas, Manila, Caloocan, Pasay, Malabon, Mandaluyong, Pasig, San Juan, Muntinlupa and Quezon City.
Aside from the electronic vehicles, the SLPAs were also given capacity building activities to ensure that they can manage their livelihood projects.
Representing the SLPAs, Leigh Ann Banayat of the Mandaluyong SLPA thanked the DSWD for creating this unique and responsive program.
Banayat encouraged her fellow PWDs to strive hard as each has skills to contribute to society.
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