‘Saklay: Punla ng Pag-asa
Para sa Parehong Karapatan, Kakayahan, at Pagkakataon’’. PWD’s are oftentimes addressed as differently - abled or people with special needs. Their rights are fully enshrined in our National Constitution backed by the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, Declaration on the Rights of Disabled Persons, and the World Programme of Action Concerning Disable
d Persons. As such, it is expected that a Person with disability requires special needs and care but must not necessarily lead to their exclusion. Systemic construction of society that designed special care for differently-abled persons oftentimes resulted in their exclusion. Exclusion, in turn, has resulted in the “invisibility” of a person with disabilities. How many differently-abled children in past generations had been kept hidden in homes, and away from the outside-world participation? How many had made it far enough to attend special schools only to grow up and return to the idleness of remaining at home? In the realm of truly meaningful participation in society, from gainful employment to the electoral process, we had lost almost literally, generations of differently-abled individuals. The rights-based approach to disability essentially means viewing a person with disabilities as subjects of law. Its final aim is to empower and ensure their active participation in political, economic, social, and cultural life in a way that is respectful and accommodating of their difference. The organization would like to ensure that our PWD’s right should not only be protected but should also be granted. Direct blow to their rights will further disenfranchise their sector. Thus, local government must undertake projects that will promote economic and equal opportunities for the PWD sector. The founder ( Bm Shirlyn D. Macasarte) was invited to speak before the MADAP ( Midsayap Association of Differently-abled Person), to give them an inspirational Talk. It turned out, she was the one who was most inspired by the people she saw that day. From the parents who painstakingly cared and carried their children just to attend the activity, the brothers and sisters who choose to raise and be in the side of their siblings despite hardship, to the teachers of the special children who patiently teach them not only the academic lessons but the core values of human life, to the compassionate organizations who manage to give their time, effort, and resources, and above all to the PWD’s themselves who manage to make a difference despite their every trials, and choose to live their lives fully and outlived their being physically challenged. To her, the mere presence of this people in one assembly is more than enough to see God’s grace. Thus, Saklay: Punla ng Pag-asa Para sa Parehong Karapatan, Kakayahan, at Pagkakataon Project was born. She thought that instead of giving her small resources to the request of her fellow politicians she should spend it in buying assistive devices for them. That way, their hardship will be alleviated and maybe one day they too can be given equal opportunity to participate in nation building. This project is in line with her advocacy dubbed as Serbisyong Makatotohanan, it is intended for all the PWD’s of North Cotabato who is certified to be an indigent, whose family cannot afford to buy the necessary assistive device. The program was launched on Dec. 15, 2010 benefiting 34 PWD's who received their free wheelchairs and crutches.However after the launching, she was stormed with numerous request form different municipalities that she could not cope up the demands anymore. She then formed the Saklay Inc. that is tasked to profile the data of all the PWD's in the province who needs assistive devices, write grant proposals, access other entities that provides livelihood assistance to pwd's and their care-takers/ families, partner with other charitable institutions that provides assistive devices and prosthesis, conduct training for livelihood programs, and train BHW and other health practitioners for proper rehabilitation care and handling of stroke and cerebral palsy patients.
