oxas City – The Stimulation and Therapeutic Activity Center (STAC) under the umbrella of the City Health Office here together with its Satellite Centers comprising the towns of Ivisan, Pontevedra, Panitan and Pilar attended the two-day National Consultation-Workshop for LGU-hired staff on sustaining the STAC services for Children with Disabilities held at Baguio Benguet Community Credit Cooperative in Baguio City, October 11-12.

Participants from this city were Wilson F. Flores, Dawna Lee L. Chua and Lyn J. Ponsaran, all physical therapists.

According to Flores the workshop involves discussion on the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, lecture- discussion on the project Implementation Matrix, creative presentation of STAC accomplishments, working with DILG and Liga ng mga Barangays on sustaining STAC, managing STAC parents and parents’ associations and lecture-discussion on creative resourcing.

Flores said this program used to be funded by the Danish International Development Agency (DIDA) but later relegated to the LGUs since January this year.
This program for children with disabilities according to Mrs. Venus M. Ilagan, president of the Katipunan ng Maykapansanan sa Pilipinas, Inc. when she was here in this city on similar consultative-workshop last March this year, aims to improve the living condition of children with disabilities in the Philippines. Also, to make available an accessible, sustainable and lowcost rehabilitation facility and to provide free comprehensive physical rehabilitation, pre-school special education and related social services to poor children with disabilities aged 0-14 years.

Also, to transfer the technology that is the STAC to LGUs in order to improve the capacity and practice of organizations of PWDs and parents of children with disabilities for advocacy and lobbying for rights, programs and services for the disability sector.

City Mayor Vicente B.Bermejo said he is concerned with the conditions of children with disabilities and has the support of the new governance of Sulong Roxas City. (BPC)