More privileges, incentives for persons with disabilities sought

Additional privileges and incentives for persons with disabilities (PWDs) were sought Tuesday with the proposed amendments to the Magna Carta for Disabled Persons. In a press statement, Sen. Edgardo Angara said he wanted to include 20% discount on hotels and similar lodging establishments, admission fees on amusement places, medicines, domestic air and sea travel, as well as fares for public transportation for PWDs. He said the proposed amendment will also allow disabled persons to be exempted from payment of individual income tax. "This piece of legislation will help empower PWDs to meet their basic needs of health, income security, decent housing, among others; while making it a strong advocacy for private individuals, NGOs and private enterprises to include disability issues in their policies and providing incentives thereto," said Angara. He said that while the Magna Carta for Disabled Persons, passed in 1992, was a landmark legislation, more can be done to help those with disabilities. "The challenge for the government does not stop with the provisions set forth in the Magna Carta alone," he said. "It is in this setting that I would like to emphasize the State's role of parens patriae brought by the limitations experienced by PWDs and its required response by maximizing the opportunities and other social services available to them in all aspects of life in the community," Angara said. The 2000 Census of Population and Housing special report showed that PWDs comprise 1.23% of the country's total population numbering 942,098, a 2.48% increase compared with the figures from the 1995 Census of 919,292 persons. - GMANews.TV