DOT urged to make tourism sites seniors, PWDs friendly

The Department of Tourism (DOT) should ensure that tourist spots are friendly and accessible to senior citizens and persons with disabilities, Deputy Speaker and Las Piñas lawmaker Camille Villar said Friday.

Under Villar's House Bill 10349 or the PWD and Senior Citizen-Friendly Tourism Sites Act, the DOT, in coordination with the Department of Public Works and Highways, National Council on Disability Affairs, and National Commission of Senior Citizens, is enjoined to ensure that tourism sites are equipped with physical infrastructure facilities that are PWD and senior citizen-friendly.

Villar’s bill defines tourism sites as cultural or natural heritage sites, museums, national parks, agro-industrial and eco-tourism sites, wildlife areas, and other tourism sites or spots.

On the other hand, the bill defines physical infrastructure as components within and outside the tourism sites, including but not limited to signages, accessible entrances, corridors, toilets with grab bars, switches and controls, ramps, elevators, accessible information desks, water taps, emergency exits, as well as outdoor facilities like roads and footpaths necessary to reach the tourism areas.

In addition, the bill states that PWD and senior citizen-friendly activities should be included in all tourism policies, programs and plans of the DOT, which is also tasked in the measure to prepare a development plan involving the construction, installation, and maintenance of appropriate facilities and infrastructure which will provide or enhance PWD and elderly-friendly tourism sites.

“Accessible tourism is the ongoing endeavor to ensure tourist destinations, products, and services are accessible to all people, regardless of their physical limitations, disabilities, or age. This includes publicly and privately owned tourist locations, facilities and services,” Villar said.

She added that as it is, the lack of travel and tourism facilities and services, including discriminatory policies and practices for the elderly and PWDs have discouraged or deterred disabled persons and their spouses, children, and caregivers from traveling and touring the country.

“As we grow older, our chance of experiencing a permanent or temporary disability is increased. A focus on accessibility can therefore ensure that we are able to participate fully in our societies well into our older years. Accessibility also benefits pregnant women and persons who are temporarily rendered immobile,” Villar added.

In addition, Villar cited the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), adopted by the UN General Assembly in December 2006 and ratified by the Philippines on April 15, 2008, which mandates state parties to take appropriate measures to ensure that persons with disabilities have equal access to the physical environment, information, transportation, and other facilities and services open or provided to the public.

Further, she said that Article 30 of the CRPD encourages all state parties to ensure that people with a disability enjoy the benefits of tourism, cultural life, recreation, leisure, and sport. — DVM, GMA Integrated News