BALANGA CITY — About 20 intermediate wheelchairs specifically designed for children with cerebral palsy will be awarded by the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office to identified beneficiaries this March.
During the Orientation on the Care and Management of Children with Cerebral Palsy held Friday in Balanga City, mobility devices were presented to parents of the beneficiaries.
Parents were also trained on the maintenance of the wheelchair and in handling the needs of their children.
Provincial Disability Affairs Office Head Rolando Cortes disclosed that the wheelchair is estimated to be at PhP24,000 each and will be awarded to beneficiaries for free.
“These mobility devices provided by the Provincial Government of Bataan are special wheelchairs for those who have special needs like children with cerebral palsy,” Cortes said.
“Beneficiaries were identified and endorsed to us by the association (Samahan ng Taong May Kapansanan sa Bataan) presidents from each municipality and here we are now ready to award the wheelchairs,” he furthered.
Cortes also cited their partnership with the Latter-Day Saints Charities Philippines, Inc. in providing mobility and assistive devices to persons with disabilities (PWDs).
“We have an existing Memorandum of Agreement with LDS wherein they have committed to provide assistive devices such as standard wheelchairs to PWDs here in the province,” Cortes added.
The mobility devices were already awarded and fitted to beneficiaries from the towns of Dinalupihan, Orani, Pilar, and Abucay last March 2 and 3.
Beneficiaries from Limay, Mariveles, Samal, Bagac, and Orion will receive theirs on March 9 and 10.
Parents said the wheelchair will lessen their burden in taking care of their children.
“The wheelchair is very useful. I can use this when my daughter will go to school and in other other occasions,” Jennifer Lucero, mother of one of the beneficiaries, said.