WWD TRAINERS TRAINING IN LEADERSHIP ADVOCACY, ENREPRENEURSHIP AND INCLUSION IN GAD PROGRAM

TRAINERS TRAINING IN LEADERSHIP ADVOCACY, ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND INCLUSION OF WOMEN AND CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES IN GENDER AND DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM AT THE LGU LEVEL

1.    Held at Bayview Park hotel

2.    November 23-24, 2011 (9:00am – 5:00pm)

3.    Attendees were from different regions in the Philippines from Luzon to Mindanao.  A total of 90 participants registered for the two day training of trainers from different LGUS of Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. From DOTC Auditorium, they were brought to Bayview Hotel on November 22.

4.    This is a second part of the activity set by the Sub-committee on Gender, one of the thematic areas of the International Day of Persons With Disabilities 2011 celebration. The National Working Committee was organized, spearheaded by the National Council on Disability Affairs. The Department of Interior and Local Government was elected as the Chair with five subcommittee chairs. The sub-committee on Gender has the following members:

Chairperson-   WOWLEAP (Women with Disabilities Leap to Social and

                                                 Economic Progress) 

               

Secretariat:         National Council on Disability Affairs

Members:           Department of Labor and Employment

                                                Department of Trade and Industry

                                                Department of Environment and Natural Resources

                                                Technology and Skills Development Authority

                                                Department of Social Welfare and Development

                                                Tahanang Walang Hagdanan

                                                Philippine Association of Citizens with Developmental and Learning Disabilities

                                                Makati Federation of Persons With Disabilities

                                                Valenzuela Federation of Persons With Disabilities

                With support from:

                                                AUSTRALIAN AID  (AUSAID)

                                                Presidential Human Rights Committee

                                                Department of Transport and Communication

                                                Department of Public Works and Highways

                                                Local Government Units who supported the participation of WWD leaders,

                                                Focal persons and Parents of children with disabilities

 

DISCUSSION ABRIDGEMENTS:

Day 1

1.    The program formally opened with an opening prayer and recapitulation of the previous day’s proceedings at DOTC Auditorium.

2.    Ms. Carmen Zubiaga gave an overview of the two day seminar and it’s objective in providing information and knowledge to participants on how to encourage women with disabilities and parents to advocate for the inclusion of programs and activities for PWDs in their local development plan of their respective LGUs. She gave the global perspective of gender and disability and the international references, treaties and policies pertaining disability and women with disabilities to serve as guide for advocates to support their propositions. She emphasized the importance of organizing as a key to inclusion and strong advocacy program.

3.    DISCRIMINATION AND RESONABLE ACCOMMODATION AND UNCRPD. Dr. Liza Martinez gave a lecture presentation about discrimination and reasonable accommodation. She explained the difference between impairment, disability and handicap based on the UNCRPD and other references. The participants were also satisfied with her explanation about the discrimination on the basis of disability and discrimination on the basis of being a woman with disability.

4.    LOCAL SITUATION OF WOMEN WITH DISABILITIES. Ms. Virgie Montilla of Tahanang Walang Hagdanan lead the workshop in identification of local situation of women with disabilities through rich picture drawing. The participants were divided into groups according to regions. The parents formed their own group. The participants were given ten minutes to discuss their situation and determine how they will show their discussion and recommendation through picture drawing. It was amazing how they creatively shown their situation through analogical picture drawing.

5.    PRESENTATION OF GROUP OUTPUT.  The Parents’ Group were the first to present followed by the Mindanao Group. Other groups presented in intervals while waiting for the speakers of succeeding topics.

6.    GENDER AND DEVELOPMENT AND LIVELIHOOD OPPORTUNITIES. DENR sent resource persons to discuss about the Gender and Development Program and Livelihood opportunities in Solid Waste Management.  They presented the Gender Responsive Environment and Natural Resources Enterprise Kit (GREEN KIT) which contains livelihood opportunities from recycling, producing natural energy and fuel (charcoal from corncob, etc).

7.    BEST PRACTICE OF GAD AT THE LOCAL LEVEL. Mr. Ryan Barcelo presented the GAD Program of Makati and their accomplishments in including persons with disabilities and other vulnerable sectors in their barangay’s budget plan.

8.    EDUCATION. DEP ED Bureau of Alternative Learning System (formerly Bureau of Non-Formal Education)  Representative presented Alternative Learning System as a means to provide education for persons with disabilities, out of school youth and adults. He cited some success stories of persons with disabilities who were recipients of ALS and World Boxing Champion Manny Pacquiao who also benefited from ALS. He presented the principles of ALS, the curriculum which could be finished based on the learner’s individual phase and the tests that the learners should take for equivalency to qualify for formal education- usually at tertiary level or other opportunities.

9.    ENTREPRENEURSHIP.  The DOLE Team, headed by Ms. Marilyn Nicolas presented the module in Entrepreneurship Appreciation Course which the trainees can use to conduct training in their respective communities to qualify for  grants or loans for livelihood. The module will give an assessment for participants about being an entrepreneur and will also help a small group to have pointers on how to make a business plan which is a pre-requisite for funding application for livelihood projects.

10. The program for the day winded at 6:30 pm.

Day 2

2.1.        RECAP OF PREVIOUS DAY’S ACTIVITIES. Ms. Lizel Amida and Ms. Amy Decena (participants) did the recapitulation of the previous topics.

2.2.         VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN AND CHILDREN. Dr. Liza Martinez (Co – founder of Philippine Deaf Resource Centre), Discussed about persons with disabilities being duty bearers and their rights defenders. Greatest contribution of PWD is to start moving, fight for their rights, claim it than waiting for our government to move. Electroshock therapy is one of the treatments administered to persons with psychosocial disabilities,the newly sprung out type of disability. Women have right to “Health”. Menstruating, giving birth and vagina are the 3 things that made women unique and different from men. Children and women are prone to violence. Rape, trafficking, electronic abuse like sex  videos and acts of lasciviousness are forms of violence towards women. Weng and Maffy were the deaf victims of discrimination in the barrangay. Their stories were presented as sample cases. A person with disability especially if it is still young needs “CASAGAL” in courts. CASAGAL means, court appointed special advocate / guardian ad litem. To ensure accuracy of narration, video tape the story but make sure that you ask permission from the victim regarding this planned step. It’s challenging for an interpreter to sign and write the narration of the victim all at the same time. PWD’s must be present and be represented in all forums or social and / or governmental gathering to ensure that PWD voices are heard. PWD’s are always out of sight and out of mind by most people especially in planning.

2.3.       

        CONTINUATION OF GROUP REPORTING.  Dr. Jeana Manalaysay, representative of National Capital Region

·         PWD’s must establish rapport among themselves, strengthen friendship and network

·         Form a council that is solely dedicated in data gathering and report monitoring

·         Continuous search of funds / sponsors to keep all projects going

·         Law awareness drives / initiatives for persons with disabilities as well as those who are not PWD’s

·         Develop micro enterprise programs augmenting income for mothers of persons with disabilities. “They are usually in the school and guarding their PWD children. Therefore, they need other ways of earning to ensure that they could help the fathers get extra resources.”

·         Increase the number of SPED teachers and teacher aids

·         Increase PWD visibility in government offices or local council office actively discussing projects for persons with disabilities (e.g. honour parking spots for PWD’s, Honour discount ID cards etc.)

2.4.        REGION 3 REPORT.  Mary Ann Zamora reported for Region1, 2 and 3 output.  Description: used a symbolic tree. A healthy tree with full grown branches and a dying tree with fallen leaves. Analogical frame work in a community with complete and available resources for PWD’s. Which implies that PWD’s lives are in increased quality and healthier if tailor fitted programs for them are available, established and implemented.

·         Fund adequacy for PWD projects

·         Dedicated manpower / team for data banking and reports management

·         Awareness drives / initiatives slaying public discrimination

·         Limited issuance of PWD discount ID’s

·         Insufficient number of disabled affairs office to cities and regions

·         Lack of job opportunities

·         Increase and strengthen community based  rehabilitation approaches

·         Increase number of support systems or peer groups for empowerment

·         Need for technical assistance from various government agencies like from Social workers to train women leaders making the right project proposals etc.

·         Seek funding from funding agencies and private sectors

2.5.        ACCESS TO JUSTICE AND BATTERED WOMEN SYNDROME. Attorney Jessica Siquijor Magbanwa, Spoke about anti – violence law for women, wives or children. “Place of violence cannot be just in homes, it can be in other places,” Magbanua stresses as she starts to explain her subject. Violence on women can be committed through economic, psychological, emotional, sexual and physical threats. It is also violence if there is a denial of an arbitrary of personal liberty and forcing to do something against one’s will, are also considered public offense. Battered women syndrome defines that a woman suffers from such problem if she has been abused physically, emotionally and psychologically.  Marivic Genosa’s case from Leyte was the basis and gave rise to a definition of battered woman syndrome which leads to the formulation of anti battery law. Battered woman has 3 stages, tension building, acute battery incident and tranquil loving. 

2.6.        Dr. Liza Martinez coordinated with the audience regarding battery cases they know and listed statistics for that matter. There were documented 3 cases of battery, 15 rape incidents, 27 for trafficking, 1 for sexual harassment and 3 for molestation from the symposium. These figures are kept confidential and Dr. Liza’s CRPD team are planning steps to resolve issues as such for women with disabilities.

2.7.        ORGANIZING OF WOMEN WITH DISABILITIES AT THE LGU LEVEL. Ms. Martha Villafania from Leyte’s chapter of WOW Leap federation, explained how to organize representing bodies for persons with disabilities. She recalled that virtual methodologies such as e-mails and texting became essential communication avenues in forming their federation. Villafania also proudly presents geographical and cultural highlights of Leyte.

2.8.        Ms. Carmen Zubiaga reinforced the idea of having a national federation of women with disabilities.

2.9.        Ms. Joy Garcia – Board member of Wow Leap and also vice president of TWH, discussed organizing and empowering support groups for persons with disabilities and planning advocacies and conceptualize course of actions for forum and programmes. Garcia emphasized the maximum utilization of CBR strategy.  “Be agent for change through generous sharing of information,” Joy shares a positive note to everybody.

Here are the steps which are prescribed by ms. Joy Garcia in the process phase of embodying of an idea until it becomes an organization.

1.    Register at SEC and look for incorporators for the organization

2.    Appointment of officers

3.    Plan projects and submit proposals

4.    Ensure that the leader of the organization can handle a group with genuine credibility in leadership and love for his / her constituents

5.    Make the organization formal and file the necessary documents

6.    Go for a general assembly through interim officers

7.    Build networks and learn to affiliate your other organizations

8.    CBR strategy will help you learn government protocols and policies and as to how you relate and propose to the government and other funding agencies

9.    Continuous monitoring of launched projects

Ms. Joy Garcia concluded her talk with advertising Access 2020 Fun Run at SM Fairview on December 3, 2011.

.

The two-day training closed with community singing of participants and photo options. 

BIG THANKS TO ALL WHO PARTICIPATED AND CONTRIBUTED TO THE SUCCESS OF THIS PROJECT. THIS IS JUST A BEGINNING.....