Th141 Human Development Paper FINAL

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AJ Avanez, Mindy Balatbat, AJ Cornejo, Marvin Cruz, Paulo Ferrer,Iris de Guzman, Butch Lorenzo, Margaux Ngo, Roxanne Olanday, Victoria Tiuseco

2 September 2011

HUMAN DEVELOPMENT PAPER

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that nearly 10% of the world’s current

population has a disability. Ironically, 80% of persons with disabilities (PWDs), as aptly called by

our current law, live in developing countries. Here in the Philippines, the most recent estimate of

the National Statistics Office (NSO) is pegged at 1.2% of our population, which roughly

translates to 942,098 Filipinos. (See appendix.) This might still be quite small as compared to

WHO’s estimates, but these numbers are significantly increasing because of varying factors.

Thus, it is only appropriate that we give due attention to these people in our society.

For this paper, we will be borrowing the NSO’s definition of disability. Disability is any

restriction or lack of ability (resulting from impairment) to perform an activity in the manner or

within the range of considered normal for a human being. Impairments associated with

disabilities may be physical, mental, or sensory motor impairments such as partial or total

blindness and deafness, muteness, speech defect, orthopedic handicaps, and mental

retardations.

In order to put into context our analysis of persons with disabilities, the group thinks that it will

be helpful to look at the particular situation of the mentally disabled in the Metro Manila Area. A

primary reason, which is very important to note, is that there is little, if any, information regarding

persons with disabilities in the Philippines. More recent statistics show that this segment

comprises of approximately 32% of PWDs and as such already comprise a big portion of the

group. However, the government, NGOs and even academic institutions have not yet launched

a wide scale study regarding PWDs. There have been several attempts to at least include such

information in our annual census but several barriers exist. One of which is the fact that these



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conditions are still widely unaccepted. Many families, even those to which PWDs belong, still

cannot accept the fact that it is possible for people to suffer from a disability.

One of the most significant sources we can look at is Republic Act 7277 or the Philippine

Magna Carta for Disabled Persons. This is the primary legislation that is aimed to address the

concerns of persons with disabilities around the country. It includes provisions about the

different rights and privileges of persons with disabilities ranging from employment to enjoyment

of political and civil rights. It also includes the different institutions, which will also be our basis

for the flow of this paper, that are responsible for providing such rights. Most importantly, the act

includes the protections of PWDs against discrimination.

This paper will be focusing on issues about the health and education of persons with

disabilities because the group thinks that these are the most pressing issues for these people.

The group thinks that education and health are inseparable given the context of the lifestyle of

PWDs. Basically, the educational system for PWDs is part of their therapy. Thus, providing them

with different health benefits also means providing them with the education, or a means to

enrich their mental capacities. Aside from this, we encounter poverty as a reality that worsens

the situation for some PWDs, as they have more particular needs when it comes to these two

aspects.

According to R.A. 7277, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and

the National Commission for Disability Affairs (NCDA) are the main agencies involved in

implementing and upholding the rights of PWDs. NCDA’s primary responsibility is to ensure that

the laws and policies for the protection and benefit of PWDs are properly implemented. This

involves working with other government agencies and NGOs regarding the concerns of PWDs.

On the other hand, DSWD, as their name implies, handles social services offered to PWDs,

which includes but is not limited to their rehabilitation.

The different health services for PWDs are also taken care of by the Department of Health

(DOH). It covers services from the prevention of such disabilities to management and



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rehabilitation of people with such conditions. At the same time, PWDs should also be provided

health insurance through Philhealth.

In terms of rehabilitation, the Asian Development Bank reported last 2005 that there were

approximately 44 regional and provincial hospitals that have an established rehabilitation unit for

PWDs. These hospitals are able to provide accessible and cost friendly services to persons with

disabilities. However, the government recognizes the insufficiency of such institutions because

the hospitals are mainly found in urban areas; and even in Metro Manila, supposedly the most

urban part of the Philippines, access to such hospitals and more sophisticated care is still

difficult to come by for some PWDs and their families.

This has led to the establishment of community-based rehabilitation centers. This is geared

towards reaching and catering to more PWDs in more remote areas. The community-based

rehabilitation centers, aside from offering health-related services, also provide livelihood

training, free meals and awareness seminars for PWDs and their families. At the same time,

several NGOs are also present to address the needs of PWDs. KAMPI, a national federation of

241 organizations consisting of PWDs currently operates around 60 community-based

rehabilitation centers. These centers primarily cater to children from 0 to 14 years of age,

providing them with therapy and pre-school training.

In relation to therapy and rehabilitation, PWDs suffering from mobility impairments also need

assistive devices like crutches and wheelchairs. According to the Magna Carta for PWDs, the

DSWD, the NCDA, and the Department of National Defense should provide these. With the help

of local government units, costs for these assistive devices are subsidized especially for those

who cannot afford it. Currently, there are around 16 government organizations and 10 non-

government organizations that manufacture assistive devices and at the same time train PWDs

on how to use it. NCDA also supports these organizations by providing funds and technical

support for these workshops. Concurrently, NCDA also tries to innovate and lower costs of

assistive devices by taking advantage of indigenous materials in our country.



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From all these, we might be able to see that their seems to be adequate attention being

given to PWDs. Even if services are still not widely available, the government is trying its best to

cover as much ground as possible. But solutions for the apparent problem of the scarcity,

especially in terms of health and education, still have a long way to go. The group tries to point

out different factors that affect the ability to PWDs to avail of services provided for them by the

government. We have settled on two main points which involves (1) the actual existence of the

programs as well as (2) the awareness of PWD of their rights, particularly of the Magna Carta

for Persons with Disabilities.

First, we try to probe if the programs mentioned above actually reach their target. According

to the Department of Education, not even 3 percent of children and youth suffering from

disabilities are able to acquire basic education. This is attributed to a variety of reasons

including the availability of teachers skilled to assist these children, the inappropriate allocation

of services to provide educational materials specially made for them and the lack of schools that

can accommodate these children.

The community-based rehabilitation centers aforementioned seem to be almost non-existent

in the barangay levels. A survey conducted for PWDs reports that 92% out of the 300

respondents around Metro Manila don’t have any knowledge of the said program. It is crucial to

take into consideration the fact that the respondents live in urban areas where most hospitals

with rehabilitation centers are located. If such is the case in the most urban part of the country,

we can only imagine how the conditions are for PWDs living in rural communities. Pushing the

point further, only 17% of the same respondents said that such programs are actually

implemented in their barangays.

The second point is an attempt to look at the whole picture from the opposite perspective.

The group thinks that the problem of scarcity of such service might also be a result of the

ignorance of PWDs to it. As previously mentioned, just the knowledge of the Magna Carta itself

is beneficial for PWDs. However, 68% of the same respondents from the previously stated



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survey said that they are not familiar with R.A. 7277. In addition, out of the 300 respondents

only 32% were aware that they could avail discounts for different medical and dental services. In

relation, only 31% were aware that they could avail of health insurance from PhilHealth.

Clearly, there seems to be a disparity between what the government tries to offer and the

knowledge, awareness, and involvement of PWDs in such programs. We can presuppose that

the health and educational services allotted for PWDs are already limited possibly because of

corruption and lack of attention to the conditions of such people. However, this is further

magnified by the fact that these PWDs, whom the services are targeted towards, are not even

aware of the existence of such projects.

Given this general outlook on the issue with PWDs, perhaps learning about the historical

implications and understanding of PWDs, specifically with mental disabilities may help with the

analysis in the end.

A study done in 2008 evaluated the mental health systems and policies in four countries:

Iraq, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Japan, and the Philippines. It was mentioned

that one of the reasons why the Philippines paid little attention to either the documentation of

mental illness or the evaluation of its treatment is because of socio-cultural reasons, aside from

funding difficulties.

One of these socio-cultural reasons is that traditionally, Filipinos considered mental illnesses

as a form of possession by evil spirits, sorcery or punishment for wrongdoings. Hence, people

with mental illnesses were often sent to witch doctors, traditional healers or priests that conduct

exorcisms. It was also believed that changes in mood are the results of social or spiritual

stressors. Therefore social support systems, alternative caregivers, and traditional healers

address these changes in mood and not the use of proper psychological medications and



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treatments. Traditional healers thus become the first people contacted for services regarding

mental illnesses.

However, as of today, a number of people still seek treatment from traditional healers. A

study of the role of traditional healers in Cebu was conducted and it was found that despite the

relatively high concentration of modern medical resources in the city, a number of people still

approach traditional healers and practitioners. According to the data, 25 to 100 patients are

treated everyday.

From the traditional healers, we move into the modern context and find that one of the

earliest centers that catered to the needs of the differently abled was the Hospicio de San Jose.

This Catholic Welfare institution was founded in 1778 with the initial purpose of responding to

the urgent needs of the mentally and physically handicapped people during those times. As the

first Social Welfare Agency in the Philippines, it pioneered the helping of the poor, the sick, the

handicapped, the abandoned, the elderly, and at one point even the mentally and

psychologically sick and delinquent youths.

Another institution catering to PWDs is The National Care for Mental Health, established

through Public Works Act 3258. In 1928 it was originally called the Insular Psychopathic

Hospital and was later renamed the National Mental Hospital. In 1986 it was again renamed as

the National Center for Mental Health (NCMH). The NCMH was established with the following

aims: to provide responsive and comprehensive mental health care services, to promote patient

empowerment, to pursue self-sustaining programs, and to excel in training and research.

It wasn’t until much later in 1993 when President Fidel V. Ramos signed proclamation 125,

which sealed the agreement proclaiming the observance of the Asian and Pacific Decade of

Disabled Persons in the Philippines. This followed the 4th Asian and Pacific Ministerial

Conference on Social Welfare and Development in 1992, which was hosted by the Philippines

in October. This called for more government initiatives, which are aimed at uplifting the

conditions of differently-abled Filipinos.



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The historical perspective presented above shows that institutions and programs have been

established and started respectfully, yet little progress seems to have been made about them. In

terms of the current government’s prioritization on health and education for the disabled, it is

presently at a snail-paced position. For one, as of August 1, 2011 no progress has been made

in implementing the much needed “Special Education Act” and “Special Needs Fund for

Children.” The former would require schools to have one special education center and the latter

would allocate funds for DepEd projects aimed at the development of children with special

needs. Even though there exist institutions and programs that address the needs of these

disabled people, there is the question of the effectiveness of the implementation and execution

of these provisions.

This is much different from the post-Marcos era where many policies and important

provisions were included in the Magna Carta for the Disabled of 1992, and several institutions

were established (such as the National Center for Mental Health and the establishment of

special education programs). At present, aside from filing bills regarding the improvement and

addition of other provisions on the existing laws that remain pending until now, the government

still has not made much progress in improving health and education for the mentally disabled.

On the matter of health, it was indicated in the World Health Organization report on mental

health system in the Philippines of 2007 that there has been no increase in the number of

mental hospital beds for the last five years. Furthermore, as seen by the data that 3.47 of

human resources work for a mental health institution out of the 100,000 general population, it

can be said that most of these hospitals are lacking in doctors and nurses.

Special education on the other hand, has been constantly receiving more attention from the

government ever since. This is illustrated by the appearance of the “BiwakoMillenium

Framework for Action Towards an Inclusive, Barrier-Free and Rights Based Society for Persons

with Disabilities in Asia and the Pacific,” which pr ovided a regional policy recommendation for



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government and stakeholders. It gradually raised public awareness and made people more

involved in various programs for the mentally disabled.

In response to this, the government issued Presidential Proclamation No. 240, declaring

2003-2012 as the Philippine Decade of Persons with Disabilities while simultaneously issuing

Executive Order No. 417 making officials of the local level and officers of various departments

aim their projects and programs towards the development of persons with disabilities.

On paper, the government has done all it can to address these needs; however, the question

of its efficiency in implementation and execution arises with the existence of the various NGO

and internationally funded community-based rehabilitation centers throughout the Philippines.

The existence of these centers all point to the problems of these government provisions. Firstly,

the uneven distribution or access to these mental health institutions as most of these are

conveniently located at urban areas, secondly, it shows the weaknesses of these mental health

centers in providing care for these disabled people as it is not properly funded by the

government—only five percent of health care expenditures go to mental health, and lastly, the

need for a mental health act.

However, a look at the Philippine economy and the economic implications of the issue help

us understand that the failure of the institutions could be due to simply the small number of

persons with mental disabilities. 32% of 1.2% of the entire Philippine population may not seem

like such a big number, therefore the government would opt to focus its efforts on more pressing

issues, the opportunity costs, such as poverty alleviation and corruption eradication (as the

current administration proclaims they are working towards).

A review of the Philippine economy shows that another possible cause for failure (or at least

ineffectiveness) of the programs and institutions, involves the country having a big service

sector and unemployment problems. There is a surplus of hands to work, however, its demand,

at least in the country, is not very high. In the urban centers it is especially difficult to find



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employment because of the sheer number of people available to work. That there is hardly

enough work for people without disabilities makes it doubly more difficult for PWDs to find

employment, especially considering the prevailing notion of their incompetence for regular work.

Such an idea is culturally rooted. By this we refer to two things: the attitudes and behaviors

that are common socially, and secondly, we have the collective manifestations of our society’s

intellect, hard work and diligence.

In the different social groups we belong to - our colleagues, our schoolmates, ourbarkada ,

even our own families - we pick up different values and perspectives that influence our view of

other things, and other people. Still, one of the most influential vehicles for the widespread

culture is the media. It is not new to say that the media plays a big role in perpetuating the

prevalent mentality. It projects what is to be valued in society, and for the longest time, we have

been “taught” by media that success, beauty, power, wealth and similar concepts are those that

hold the most importance socially. We are dissected into a social hierarchy where the

wealthiest, the most successful, the most beautiful and the most powerful are at the top.

Clearing the atmosphere of superficiality, it is easy to see that the ones who hold the highest

positions in the social triangle got there through their talents and capabilities. The ones who

dictate and contribute to the social dynamic are the clever, innovative, creative, hard working

and socially adept. These are also the ones who have taken advantage of the many

opportunities given them. Unfortunately for the PWD, not as many opportunities are given them.

Granted that they take part in enrichment and rehabilitation programs, at the end of the day, the

mentally disabled are still viewed as PWD. Even if they undergo rigorous therapy and reach

healing, it seems unlikely that they will be given opportunities that will allow them to contribute to

society. If they won’t be able to contribute anyway, why bother? This may be one of the reasons

why not too many concern themselves with creating, implementing and actually making

programs known to PWD and their families.



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A second inquiry into the subject pushes us to think of how the situation of PWD fairs against

other issues. While there are those who do give due attention to PWD, they seem to be a

minority as compared to those working for the alleviation and relief of hunger, poverty,

environmental concerns and other causes that seem to be more pressing. Countless

organizations are proactive in the areas of environmental protection and poverty, but few

concern themselves with the situation of the disabled, fewer still with that of the mentally

disabled, as their treatment, therapy and rehabilitation requires more time, patience and

expertise.

Various institutions in today’s society play a big part in uplifting the situation of the differently-

abled. With the unstable condition of the country, there is but a need and a desire for these

organizations to buoy up the state of the people who are in need. Non-government

organizations, the government, schools, the Church, and even businesses, through a number of

innovative measures continuously support this sector of society.

NOVA Foundation is a non-stock, non-profit, non-government organization that seeks to

promote economic and social integration to these people with disabilities. The institution

provides the opportunity for the differently-abled not only to meet the demands of the corporate

world, but to build-up their confidence and self-worth despite their condition. One such program

of the organization is the PC Operations curriculum wherein they are trained to have the basic

knowledge, skill, and attitudinal disposition so as to form the competency needed from them in

the workplace. Alay samga may Kapansanan Association Incorporated is another institution that

holds workshops and seminars in order to foster the various skills of people with disabilities,

equipping them with what they need to succeed in life in spite of their situation. Rotary clubs

around Metro Manila continue to take part in uplifting the state of the differently-abled in society.

The Philippine government also takes place in this advocacy specifically through certain

agencies that really cater to the said sector. The DSWD (Department of Social Welfare and



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Development), the NVRC (National Rehabilitation Center), and the NCDA (National Council on

Disability Affairs) are just some of the many government-controlled associations that help our

fellow Filipinos. The Rehabilitation Sheltered Workshop is a facility that provides vocational and

social rehabilitation to persons with disabilities for socio-economic independence and

productivity. The workshop focuses on the medical, psychological, and recreational needs of of

people. One important facet of the program is having community participation that allows the

differently-abled to really delve into society notwithstanding their disabilities.

Corporate Social Responsibility has been a growing trend among businesses. Companies

have been giving back to society through various ways whether it be by donating useful

materials or money, by allocating a percent of their income to those in need, or by having

outreaches for a more intimate experience with the differently-abled. Toby’s, being one of the

leading sports merchandise provider, has had a number of free sports clinics and equipment

donations to different charitable institutions. Hapee Toothpaste, on the other hand, has been

giving free education to those with disabilities. There are a number of schools that actively

respond to the situation of those in need through outreaches and retreats. Organizations in

these elementary, secondary, and tertiary schools immerse students to bring about awareness

in them regarding the current shape of the differently-abled. The Church also takes part in

providing a favorable lifestyle to these people by means of really submerging Herself into the

lives of those in need. The SamahangKapatiransaHanapbuhay Para sa may Kapansanan is

only one of the many projects that seeks to educate these people for them to be able to provide

for themselves.

As seen in the aforementioned, these institutions continue to find new ways in helping out the

differently-abled. An active response is present in these organizations as they continue to reach

out and take part in uplifting the condition of fellow Filipinos in need. In reflecting on the current

disposition of the differently-abled in society, we are left to question once more: are these

institutions enough? Is their condition favorable? Or is there more we can do?



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Even as students, there are ways through which we can show our genuine concern for the

well being of the mentally disabled in Metro Manila. Every person can contribute in his or her

own way. Small acts such as volunteering at foundations for the differently abled or donating for

the cause are common methods through which people show their concern. However, as

Ateneans who have undergone the various INAF programs offered by the university (e.g

immersion) and continually strive to understand the situation of these families, we are equipped

with the resources and knowledge, which can help foster a supportive environment.

Right now, we can use the means available to us such as the various efforts of school

organizations (i.e. Ateneo Special Education Society, more commonly known as SPEED). As

we experience conversion of the heart and take a personal response, we allow ourselves to

participate more in the life of the marginalized families. We may write articles and analyze the

sector’s situation using various frameworks being taught to us. This allows us to create

awareness about their needs. We then ought to fulfill the second response, which is politic, as

we seek to challenge the limiting and oppressive structures, while working within the democratic

process. As the graduating batch, we should absorb as much as we can and take our lessons to

heart so that by the time we are employed, we would execute more concrete methods of

addressing the needs we had identified and also continually respond to the call to conversion.



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APPENDIX

Table 1 Disabled Persons by Type of Disability and Sex, 2000

Type Male % Female % Total %Low visionOral defectPartial blindnessMentally illMentally retardedQuadriplegicHard of hearingOthers

154 05327 10038 15734 81835 19431 29722 251

125 896

32.95.88.17.47.56.74.7

26.9

198 34523 76238 57432 47630 91924 59222 474

102 190

41.95.08.16.96.55.24.7

21.6

352 39850 86276 73167 29466 11355 88944 725

228 086

37.45.48.17.17.05.94.7

24.2Total 468 766 100.0 473 332 100.0 942 098 100.0Total ReferencePopuation

38 524 267 37 979 810 76 504077

Prevalence % 1.2 1.2 1.2Gender Ratios 49.8 50.2Source: 2000 Census of Population and Housing, National Statistics Office

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