President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo dropped everything to honor this year’s 22 winners of the “2008 Apolinario Mabini Awards” in Malacañang last August 6, 2008. Held by the Philippine Foundation for the Rehabilitation of the Disabled (PFRD) in tandem with the National Council on Disability Affairs (NCDA). The plum Mabini Presidential Award, was personally handed by the President to Mr. Rex Bernardo, General Manager of Coops for Christ, Incorporated, founder of Alyansa ng Maykapansanan sa Pilipinas, columnist and a long time advocate of the rights of persons with disabilities.

NCDA Chairperson Rosie Lovely T. Romulo, PFRD’s President for over 6 years, joined fellow Congressional spouses and PFRD Officials in this long awaited event, recalling PFRD’s tradition of giving recognition to topnotch achievers in the disability field through the years.

Congresswoman Cynthia A. Villar, Chair of this year’s A. Mabini Awards Committee said that the event brings to fore the trials and triumphs of the achievers in disability, from which we could find much inspiration and lessons. Architect Jaime Silva, the 2005 A. Mabini Presidential awardee, in turn, led the 2008 Screening Committee.

Other 2008 Apolinario Mabini Awards winners include:

Local Government Units of the Year

• CITY OF MAKATI
• MUNICIPALITY OF CARMONA, CAVITE
• PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT UNIT OF NUEVA VIZCAYA

Disabled Friendly Establishments of the Year

• SM MARILAO
• SM CLARK
• SM MALL OF ASIA
• SM SAN LAZARO
• TRINOMA
• SM TAYTAY
• SM LIPA
• SM BAGUIO

Employer of the Year

• TELE TECH CUSTOMER MANAGEMENT CENTER OF THE PHILIPPINES

Rehabilitation Volunteer of the Year

• DONG-IN TULAY CENTER (Group)
• ABELARDO APOLLO I. DAVID, JR. (Individual)

Special Awards

• Disabled Friendly Website - CEBU CITY GOVERNMENT
• Outstanding Woman with Disability - ADELA AVILA KONO
• Social Worker - CATALINA L. FERMIN
• Corporate Excellencein Service of PWDs - SM SUPERMALLS’ACCESSIBILITY & SAFETY COMMITTEE-SHOPPING CENTER MGMNT. CORP.

Disabled Group of the Year

• PHILIPPINE SPORTS ASSN. FOR DIFFERENTLY ABLED- NATIONAL PARALYMPIC COMMITTEE OF THE PHILS.
• DAVAO WOMEN OF DIFFERENT ABILITIES ASSOCIATION

Outstanding Disabled Filipino for:

• Luzon - JOHNNY B. LANTION
• Visayas - ENGR. REYNALDO C. MERIDA
• Mindanao - NOEL R. MANABE

Disabled Filipino of the Year

• RODOLFO A. MENDOZA

Mabini Presidential Award

• REX A. BERNARDO

As part of his yearly State of the Municipal Address (SOMA), Hon. Mayor Roy Loyola proudly distributed wheelchairs to 12 of his young indigent PWDs, compliments of the Latter-Day Saints Charities (LDSC).

LDSC Representative Bro. Wilfredo Dasalla, Welfare Officer, and NCDA Staff Mr. Rolando Fernandez, Project Development Officer II and Mr. Wilfredo Viernes, Clerk III joined the big crowd of Caviteños in Carmona for this special celebration last July 29, 2008. For two years now, NCDA has been helping LDSC bring in top of the line wheelchairs minus taxes to boost mobility and productivity of PWDs nationwide, young and old.

Young wheelchair recipients try out their cool “wheels” for the first time, looking to better school days when they could move around more freely and independently, with less burden to their parents.

Mayor Loyola highlighted his SOMA with his major achievements, particularly the establishment of “Persons with Disabilities Coordinating Office” (PDCAO). To empower his PWD constituents, he set up the 4K store to provide livelihood opportunities for them, and a shuttle service for special children mainstreamed in regular school, free of charge.

Mayor Loyola and wife Dr. Loyola, told the NCDA staff that the issuance of discount ID cards in Carmona is now in full swing, including compliance to the GAA’s allocation of .5% of the total municipality’s budget for disability programs. In fact, he even shells out more than the required funds from his own pockets, as part of his empowerment scheme captured in his slogan.. Bringing gaps . . . Innovating Strategies . . . Improving lives.

This child feeling a little weird, is being introduced to his first wheelchair and its proper use, as it will later become a very important “friend”/part of his life.

Organizers of the country’s successful launch of the Unity March to mark the “CRPD’s Entry into Force” last May 12, couldn’t have picked out a better venue. The SM Mall of Asia (MOA) was the perfect foil for the powerful Unity March of over 1, 200 leaders with disabilities side by side with GO-NGO partners here and abroad, to support the government’s ratification of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) as a leveraging tool for all Filipinos with disabilities.

The SM Mall Chain, led by SM Prime Holdings Incorporated President Hans T. Sy himself, certainly shone that day, with its deep culture of service and understanding for PWDs which evolved from sheer hard work and willpower.

The chain of SM Malls was said to have gone over and above mere lip service in considering the needs of Filipinos with disabilities. Spurred by the copy of the SM Prime Holdings Annual Report-5oth Anniversary issue featuring “Enabling the Disabled at SM Malls”, NCDA Chairperson Rosie Lovely T. Romulo promptly instructed the article’s publication on the Council’s website.

Last year, SCMC President Annie S. Garcia shared their experience with delegates from other Asia Pacific countries, as part of the country’s Non-Handicapping Environment (NHE) program, cited by the UN-ESCAP as among the Region’s best practices. This year, SCMC will be an A. Mabini Awardee for two categories: “Disabled-friendly” establishment and special award for the SM SUPERMALLS’ ACCESSIBILITY & SAFETY COMMITTEE’s outstanding achievements.

For 7 months now, eleven deaf encoders have been on a test run as part of the Department of Foreign Affair’s (DFA) critical and labor-intensive passport section

Civil Service Commission (CSC) Acting Chairman Cesar D

In its continuing effort to improve public attitude towards persons with disabilities, the National Council on Disability Affairs (NCDA) through its Officer-in-Charge, Mr

The National Council on Disability Affairs (NCDA), through its Chairperson Rosie Lovely T

1st District Parañaque Congressman Eduardo C

Inspired by the overwhelming show of support for the Philippine’s celebration of CRPD’s Entry into Force last May 12, NCDA Chairperson Rosie Lovely T

NCDA Administrative Order No

Cross disability groups of persons with disabilities in the country, along with the officials of the government and non-government organizations and members of the organizations of/for persons with disabilities, will gather together to join a Unity March on May 12, 2008, 8:30 AM starting at the parking area infront of SM Convention Center, SM Mall of Asia Complex in Pasay City

3 May 2008 – The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities entered into force today, one month after the required twentieth country ratified the landmark treaty which guarantees the rights of some 650 million people worldwide

The NCDA staff, all in the spirit of fun, held an “onions sale for a cause” last March 6, 2008

Pro-poor, developmental, high-impact and environmental

UN-ESCAP Social Development Officer Aiko Akiyama presented the CRPD in the light of the Biwako Millennium Framework (BMF) Plus Five

Toshiba Information Equipment Philippines (TIEP) hosted nine applicants with disabilities and NCDA staff to a tour of its top-of-the-line production plant last Monday, March 10, 2008

Over 50 GO-NGO point persons from Regions I, II, III and CAR converged in Vigan’s famous Baluarte for two days, to share best practices through media forum and joint RCWDP Meeting on disability

For this year’s “4th ASEAN Para Games” held in Thailand last January 21-24, 2008, seven countries fielded their best bets for the Chess Tournament category

To give way to the nominations from various regions, the “Apolinario Mabini Awards” (AMA) Screening Committee extended the deadline from February 29 to April 30, 2008

The ceremony started with a brief program at 10:00 oclock in the morning which was attended by top officials led by Dr

ASP TOURS STAKEHOLDERS TO 3 LAGUNA CENTERS

The rain did not dampen the group’s excitement

PGMA APPOINTS NEW NCWDP HEAD

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has appointed recently Mrs

PFRD LAUNCHES 2008 MABINI AWARDS

The Philippine Foundation for the Rehabilitation of the Disabled, Inc