Sen. Grace Poe questioned the miniscule amount for disability-friendly infrastructure in the proposed budget for 2021.

“A mere P560 million is allocated for disability-friendly facilities. This will account for 0.05 percent of the entire infrastructure budget for next year,” said Poe.

Around P1.107 trillion is proposed to be spent on capital outlays under the National Expenditure Program for 2021.

“Halos 1.4 million ang ating mga PWDs (persons with disabilities). Bakit halos walang laman ang salop para sa kanila?” asked Poe, citing data from the Philippine Statistics Authority.

Poe also noted that compliance of public buildings with laws on accessibility for disabled persons has been minimal. The senator also called upon the government to proactively address the needs of disabled Filipinos, especially in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The government should do more for PWDs than just placing signs for reserved seats. Compliance should not be sticker-deep,” Poe stressed.

Republic Act No. 7277 or the “Magna Carta for Disabled Persons” mandates the national and local governments to allocate funds for the provision of architectural or structural features for disabled persons in government buildings and facilities.