COTABATO CITY – The Ministry of Social Services and Development (MSSD) has started giving out identification cards (IDs) and cash assistance to persons with disabilities (PWDs) in the region’s Special Geographic Area (SGA).
MSSD has targeted a total of 2,273 PWDs in SGA, with 914 beneficiaries from Pikit Cluster, 486 from Midsayap, 289 from Pigcawayan, 60 from Aleosan, 335 from Carmen, and 189 from Kabacan Cluster.
On Wednesday, July 20, MSSD Minister Atty. Raissa Jajurie led the distribution to 163 beneficiaries in Barangays Balungis, Macabual, Nalapaan, Batulawan, Gli-Gli, and Fort Pikit from Pikit Cluster. MSSD will continue the distribution tomorrow for the remaining areas of SGA.
Each beneficiary received Php3,000.00 cash, total equivalent of their monthly allowance from January to June 2022. Some of them were also given assistive devices.
“Itong pagbibigay ng IDs ay isa lamang doon sa iba-ibang programa ng MSSD. Dahil ang ating mandato ay magbigay ng proteksiyon, isulong ang mga karapatan at siguraduhin na maabot niyo (PWDs) ang pinaka-mataas na level of development,” Jajurie emphasized.
One of the beneficiaries was 12-year old Almira Kasan who received a wheelchair. Her mother, Nasra, said she will use the money for her daughter’s medicines.
“Nagpapasalamat ako sa kanila (MSSD) kasi nang dahil sa kanila nagkaroon ng wheelchair ang anak at ito po yung pinaka importante sa (kanya),” Nasra said.
The activity was also supported by The Mindanao Organization for Social and Economic Progress (MOSEP) Inc. and The Asia Foundation (TAF). (Myrna Tepadan/BIO)
