RP TEAM Bags 2 “Global IT Challenge Grand Prizes and 1 Special Award in Korea
November 16, 2012
Our 6-man “Make the Right Real Team Philippines” brought home 3 awards, 2 grand champion and a special award in e-Life, e-Tools and slogan making contests in ‘Global IT Challenge for Youth with Disabilities’ in Song Do University, Incheon, Korea. Young champs are Ezekiel John Erpelo (MCCID Institute of Technology), Caroll Ann de Belen (Manila High School) and Joseph Gabriel Vesagas (Independent Learning Center).
Proudly Filipinos!! Clockwise, 1) Ezekiel ‘’ÉJ’’ John Erpelo , grand prize winner, e-Life (web browsing/research), 2) whole team from left, Jabby Vesagas, slogan making special awardee, Gerson Peralta, Philippine National School for the Blind, team leader/coordinator NCDA staff Jennifer Garcia, Caroll Ann and EJ; 3) Winners EJ, Caroll Ann and Jabby with their laptop prizes; and 4) Caroll Ann gets grand prize for e-Tool.
The 6-man “MAKE THE RIGHT REAL- TEAM PHILIPPINES” led by NCDA staff Jennifer Garcia represented the country and bested other bets from 27 countries in this event held last October 29 to November 2, 2012. Ms. Garcia, herself with disability was the Team Coordinator, and was one of the presentors who spoke on “Accessible ICT in the Philippines”.
NCDA Cheers Delegates to Korea’s “ Global Challenge for Youth with Disabilities”
October 19, 2012
Pinch-hitting for ED Carmen Reyes-Zubiaga, DED Matt Lee Jr., met the 5-man team for this world event on October 29-November 2, 2012 in Incheon, Korea. He helped find the team’s name – “MAKE THE RIGHT REAL – PHILIPPINES, adopting the new Decade’s tagline, with the theme: I.T.’s More Fun in the Philippines”. The young delegates will compete in e-LIFE, e-Tools and e-Sports categories.
The 5 delegates are: 1) Ms. Jennifer Garcia, Team Coordinator from NCDA, will also present a country paper on “Accessible ICT in the Philippines”, 2) Ezekiel “EJ” Erpelo, MCCID Institute of Technology, 3) Gerson Peralta, Philippine National School for the Blind (PNSB) , Jabby Vesagas (Independent Living Learning Centre (ILLC), and Jabby’s Mother/Personal Assistant Mrs. Connie Vesagas.
Team’s dry-run of 3-day program the e-contests
The meeting no doubt, set the whole team on a high gear, with NCDA’s full support. Big thanks goes to the Department of Foreign Affairs’’ staff Ms. Mila Cruz, who tirelessly makes the express lanes for PWD passport applicants real, including these young delegates.
RONEL DEL RIO, One of UN-ESCAP’s 7 “Promoters” of the New Decade in AP
October 9, 2012
Batangas Governor’s Advocate Mr. Ronel del Rio, the only Filipino chosen by the United Nations-Economic and Social Commission in the Asia Pacific (UN-ESCAP), joins six others from other AP countries, as official ‘PROMOTERS’’ of the “3rd Decade of Persons with Disabilities”, 2013-2023.
Ronel with many hats, takes his role as Governor Vilma Santos-Recto’s Advocate’s most seriously, inspired by the former’s full support, shown here signing manifesto of commitment to engage the business sector in creating work ops for Batanguenos with disabilities.
Batangas LGU’s powerhouse cast led by Ronel…whose award as UN-ESCAP’s Promoter in AP was proudly announced by NCDA Acting Executive Director Carmen, at the SubCom on Access to Justice launch.
Mr. del Rio, a longtime radio announcer and focal person on the Philippine Disability Affairs Office (PDAO)-Batangas Province, is an active member of the Philippine Coalition on the UN-CRPD and also a prominent feature of the Fully Abled Nation (F.A.N.), a campaign for disability-inclusive elections. Shown below as host/coordinator of the “Web Access Workshop”, he recruited 27 interoffice personnel in the Batangas Provincial Capitol, to learn to make their website “PWD-friendly” , as an empowering tool for Batangueños with disabilities.
The workshop was held in sync with the National Council on Disability Affairs (NCDA) and the Philippine Web Accessibility Group (PWAG)whose President , Mr. Jojo Esposa, served as the main Resource Person.
As promoter, Mr. del Rio is tasked to launch a dynamic campaign, alongside other promoters, to ‘MAKE THE RIGHT REAL” for persons with disabilities, called for in the ‘UN- Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities’.
The New Face of the COMELEC Website
August 30, 2012
Fresh from winning their “PWD-friendly Website” Award at the 34th NDPR Week, COMELEC proudly launched their new website’s accessible features last August 15, 2012, in support of the “Fully Abled Nation’s” drive for disability-inclusive elections.
To fully access PWDs to local/global socio-economic opportunities and push their “RIGHT TO INFORMATION” called for in the “UN-Convention on the Rights of PWDs”, the National Council on Disability affairs (NCDA) in sync with the National Computer Center and the Philippine Web Accessibility Group (PWAG) hold workshops for web designers and awards agencies compliant to the set standards in the “NCDA-NCC Joint Circular on Web Accessibility”.
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- T Division Acting Chief Eden Bolo (left photo) presents with pride, the new face of COMELEC’s accessible website, shown on the above right photo.
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- Commissioner Rene Sarmiento cheers the IT Team lead by Ms. Eden Bolo, the force behind the website’s accessibility “makeover”
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- Beverly Hagerdorn Thaku, Int’l. Foundation on Electoral Systems IFES Chief of Party Commends NCDA, MCCID and COMELEC for they synergy. IFES hosted the Access Workshop for the COMELEC IT TEAM
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- PWAG Member Lourdes Borgonia proves the usability of accessible website even for blind users like her.
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- PWAG President Jojo Esposa briefs COMELEC officials and guests what makes a website accessble.
Mary Jane Villanueva, Opol’s Most Outstanding PWD 2012
August 14, 2012
Proud Mayor Dexter Yasay recently awarded Mary Jane Villanueva, Opol Federation of PWDs’ Vice President, as the “Most Outstanding PWD” for 2012. Launched to kick off Opol’s 2012 NDPR Week with a motorcade, this aims to raise awareness on the beauty and potentials of PWDs as productive citizens of Opol.
Besting 9 other candidates, Ms. Villanueva is among Opol’s staunch disability advocates, who are highly instrumental in their high impact ‘’Non-handicapping Environment” pilot project, in sync with the Japan International Cooperating Agency (JICA) and the National Council on Disability Affairs.
COMELEC, DILG and DOH, 34th NDPR Week’s ‘PWD-friendly’ Websites Awardees
August 14, 2012
For the 34th NDPR Week, 3 strategic government agencies DILG, DOH and COMELEC bagged the “PWD-friendly Website Awards, after complying with the NCDA-NCC Joint Circular on Web Accessibility, to boost the sector’s “RIGHT TO INFORMATION” towards socio-economic opportunities.
This joint project of the National Computer Center-ICTO, Philippine Web Accessibility Group and NCDA, would not have been possible without the ICT SubCom champions Architect Rizal Morales (DOTC), Merce Nicolas (NCC-ICTO), Noli Agcaoili (NOVA) and Lauro Purcil (DepEd).
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- PWAG President Rember “Jojo” Esposa Jr. defines accessible Website and announces the big 3 winners, host based on the set criteria.
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- ED Zubiaga with COMELEC Representatives and IFES Rep. May Butoy, extreme right, of COMELEC’s IT Team’s Access Workshop
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- Department of Health REPRESENTATIVES with ED Carmen and ICT SubCom vice-Chair Noli Agcaoili
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- COMELEC IT Team led by MISD Acting Chief Eden Bolo (extreme right), the team that won the award for
EDUCATION FOR ALL
July 26, 2012
The National Council on Disability Affairs (NCDA) recently turned-over instructional and information materials to students with disabilities of Batino Elementary School in Quezon City, as part of its continuing campaign to promote the right to education of persons with disabilities as embodied in the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Undersecretary Alicia R. Bala (3rd from right) of the Department of Social Welfare and Development who used to be the Officer-in-Charge and currently Alternate Chairperson of the NCDA Governing Board, spearheaded the National Campaign to Promote White Cane project among blind persons especially those studying in the elementary level which subsequently resulted to inclusion of instructional materials for other children with disabilities. Joining her are (from right to left) NCDA Chief Information Officer Rizalio R. Sanchez, Department of Education Undersecretary Albert T. Muyot, Batino Elementary School Principal, Mr. July Villapa, and NCDA Deputy Executive Director Mateo A. Lee, Jr., including students with disabilities from said school.
Calling All Video Film Making Enthusiasts!
May 14, 2012
The New Vois Association (NVA)-Health Justice (HJ) tandem invites disability advocates with or without disabilities from self-help groups and GO/NGO partners, to a half day session on Video-Film Making on Monday, May 14, 2012 at 9 A.M.
This project to be held on #1 Fuentes Drive North Susana Executive Village, Quezon City, aims to spur public awareness on the rights of persons with disabilities, particularly the “RIGHT TO HEALTH”, supportive of the “UN-Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities”.
For details, please contact/confirm with Ms. Volet Rojas at mobile no. 09228922850, since this is on a “first-come-first-served basis.
International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) Hosts Web ACcess Workshop for COMELEC
April 17, 2012
Philippine Web Accessibility Group (PWAG), NCDA’s online advocacy group on web accessibility, represented by its President and MCCID Institute of Technology Training Director Mr. Jojo Esposa, as Resource Person, shares hands-on techniques to make websites accessible to persons with disabilities .
IFES Philippines’ Project Officer Ms. Mae Butoy warmly welcomed everybody to fast break COMELEC’s “PWD-friendly” website for disability-inclusive elections. Held for COMELEC’s IT Team at the Bayleaf Intramuros on March 22, 2012, this was in tandem with the National Council on Disability Affairs (NCDA) and the Philippine Web Accessibility Group (PWAG).
NCDA-Technical Cooperation Division Chief Nelia de Jesus thanked IFES Coordinator Mae Butoy for sponsoring the training that gave momentum to COMELEC’s initial efforts to bolster registration of voters with disabilities. This year, the Council will hold similar workshops for other GOs and selected LGUs, to expand web accessibility of citizens with disabilities to government’s programs and services.
The Philippine Nation Observes World Autism Awareness Day
March 29, 2012
The country will take part in the global celebration of the World Autism Awareness Day (WAAD) on April 2 with the theme “ Make the Right Real for Persons with Autism”.
Now on its 5th year, the Philippine government thru the National Council on Disability Affairs (NCDA) leads this annual event celebration in cooperation with other government agencies and non-government organizations and the civil society groups.
Special activities have been lined up to observe WAAD in the Philippines. This include the (1) “Forum on the Supportive of Environment of Persons with Autism” at the DENR Social Hall, Visayas, Quezon City; (2) “Art, Photo and Product Exhibits of Persons with Autism,” DENR Social Hall, Visayas, Quezon City; and (3) “Light It Up Blue” Ceremony of the SM Mall of Asia’s Iconic Globular Light Emitting Diode (LED) with messages and images for Autism awareness and as a support for the LIUB campaign of Autism Speaks of the USA which leads the global celebration of the WAAD.
The United Nations General Assembly thru Resolution 62/139 issued on December 18, 2007 declared April2 of every year starting in 2008 as World Autism Awareness Day (WAAD). The declaration invites UN Member States, relevant organizations, civil society, including non-governmental organizations and the private sector, to observe the World Autism Awareness Day (WAAD) in order to raise public awareness about autism throughout society. The celebration of the Day brings to the world’s attention to promote autism, a pervasive intellectual disorder that affects millions of the human population worldwide.
A global statistics on human population shows a high prevalence of autism with a ratio of 1:00, which means that in a population of 100 individuals, one (1) is affected with it. With this prevalence and high rate of autism in children in all regions of the world and consequent development challenges to long-term health care, education, training and intervention programs undertaken by Governments, non-governmental organizations and the private sector, as well as its tremendous impact on children, their families, communities and societies, such alarming condition, there is really a need to take measures to raise awareness on autism throughout the society and to encourage early diagnosis and early intervention.
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD), or simply “autism,” is a lifelong development disability that manifests itself during the first three years of life and results from neurological disorder that affects the functioning of the brain, mostly affecting children in many countries irrespective of gender, race of socio-economic status, and characterized by impairments in social interaction, problems with verbal and non-verbal communications and restricted, repetitive behavior, interests and activities.