Article 29Labor and Agrarian Laws and Social Legislation, p. 29

LABOR LAWS AND SOCIAL LEGISLATION SPECIAL LAWS AND IMPLEMENTING RULES AND REGULATIONS

CHAPTER 4 Auxiliary Social Services

SECTION 21. Auxiliary Social Services . — The State

shall ensure that marginalized persons are provided with

the necessary auxiliary services that will restore their

social functioning and participation in community affairs.

Towards this end, the Department of Social Welfare and

Development shall develop and implement programs on

auxiliary social services that respond to the needs of

marginalized persons with disability. The components of

such a program shall be as follows:

a) assistance in the acquisition of prosthetic devices

and medical intervention of specialty services;

b) provision of specialized training activities designed

to improve functional limitations of persons with

disability related to communication skills;

c) development among persons with disability of a

positive

self-image

through

the

provision

of

counseling,

orientation

and

mobility

and

strengthening daily living capability;

d) provision of family care services geared towards

developing the capability of families to respond to

the needs of the disabled members of the family;

e) provision of substitute family care services and the

facilities

therefor

for

abandoned,

neglected,

abused and unattached persons with disability

who need custodial care;

f) provision of aftercare and follow-up services for the

continued rehabilitation in a community-based

setting

of

persons

with

disability

who

were

released from residential care or rehabilitation

centers; and

g) provision of day care services for disabled children

of pre-school age.

CHAPTER 5 Telecommunications

SECTION 22. Broadcast Media . — Television stations

shall be encouraged to provide a sign-language inset or

subtitles in at least one (1) newscast program a day and

special programs covering events of national significance.

SECTION 23. Telephone Services . — All telephone

companies

shall

be

encouraged

to

install

special

telephone devices or units for the hearing-impaired and

ensure that they are commercially available to enable

them to communicate through the telephone system.

SECTION 24. Free Postal Charges for the Disabled .

— Postal charges shall be free on the following:

a)

articles and literatures like books and periodicals,

orthopedic and other devices, and teaching aids

for the use of the disabled sent by mail within the

Philippines and abroad; and

b)

aids and orthopedic devices for the disabled sent

by abroad by mail for repair:

Provided , That the aforesaid items are for personal

purposes only: Provided, further , That the disabled person

is a marginalized disabled as certified by the Social

Welfare and Development Office of the local government

unit concerned or the Department of Social Welfare and

Development.

CHAPTER 6 Accessibility

SECTION 25. Barrier-Free Environment . — The State

shall ensure the attainment of a barrier-free environment

that will enable persons with disability to have access in

public and private buildings and establishments and

such other places mentioned in Batas Pambansa Bilang

344, otherwise known as the " Accessibility Law ".

The national and local governments shall allocate

funds

for

the

provision

of

architectural

facilities

or

structural

features

for

persons

with

disability

in

government buildings and facilities.

SECTION 26. Mobility . — The State shall promote the

mobility of persons with disability. Disabled persons shall

be allowed to drive motor vehicles, subject to the rules

and regulations issued by the Land Transportation Office

pertinent

to

the

nature

of

their

disability

and

the

appropriate adaptations or modifications made on such

vehicles.

SECTION 27. Access to Public Transport Facilities .

— The Department of Social Welfare and Development

shall develop a program to assist marginalized persons

with disability gain access in the use of public transport

facilities.

Such

assistance

may

be

in

the

form

of

subsidized transportation fare.

The said department shall also allocate such funds as

may be necessary for the effective implementation of the

public transport program for the persons with disability.

The " Accessibility Law ", as amended, shall be made

suppletory to this Act.

SECTION 28. Implementing Rules and Regulations .

—

The

Department

of

Transportation

and

Communications

shall

formulate

the

rules

and

regulations necessary to implement the provisions of this

Chapter.

CHAPTER 7 Political and Civil Rights

SECTION 29. System of Voting . — Disabled persons

shall be allowed to be assisted by a person of his choice in

voting in the national or local elections. The person thus

chosen shall prepare the ballot for the disabled voter

inside the voting booth. The person assisting shall bind

himself in a formal document under oath to fill out the

ballot strictly in accordance with the instructions of the

voter and not to reveal the contents of the ballot prepared

by him. Violation of this provision shall constitute an

election offense.

Polling places should be made accessible to persons

with disability during national or local elections.

SECTION 30. Right to Assemble . — Consistent with

the

provisions

of

the

Constitution,

the

State

shall

recognize

the

right

of

persons

with

disability

to

participate

in

processions,

rallies,

parades,

demonstrations, public meetings, and assemblages or

other forms of mass or concerned action held in public.

SECTION

31.

Right

to

Organize .

—

The

State

recognizes the right of persons with disability to form

organizations or associations that promote their welfare

and advance or safeguard their interests. The national

government, through its agencies, instrumentalities and

subdivisions,

shall

assist

persons

with

disability

in

establishing self-help organizations by providing them

with the necessary technical and financial assistance.

Concerned government agencies and offices shall

establish close linkages with organizations of the persons

with disability in order to respond expeditiously to the

needs of persons with disability. National line agencies

and local government units shall assist persons with

disability in setting up specific projects that will be

managed like business propositions.

To ensure the active participation of persons with

disability in the social and economic development of the

country,

their

organizations

shall

be

encouraged

to

participate

in

the

planning,

organization

and

management of government programs and projects for

persons with disability.

Organizations

of

persons

with

disability

shall

participate

in

the

identification

and

preparation

of

programs

that

shall

serve

to

develop

employment

opportunities for the persons with disability.

CHAPTER 8 Other Privileges and Incentives

SECTION 32. Persons with disability shall be entitled

to the following:

(a)

At

least

twenty

percent

(20%)

discount and

exemption from the value-added tax (VAT), if applicable,

© Compiled By RGL

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