PH Prioritizes Disability Data Collection to Steer Government Services, Programs for PWDs
Philippine National Council on Disability Affairs officer-in-charge Carmen Zubiaga delivers the Philippine statement at the 12th Conference of States Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. (New York PM photo)
NEW YORK 18 June 2019 — The Philippines highlighted the importance of data in the ongoing efforts of the Philippine government in addressing the specific needs of persons with disabilities during 12th Conference of States Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (COSP 12) on 11 June 2019 at the United Nations in New York.
National Council on Disability Affairs (NCDA) officer-in-charge Carmen Zubiaga cited the Philippine government’s decision to prioritize the collection of data on disability to steer services and programs to persons with disabilities (PWDs) in the Philippine statement.
“The NCDA passed a board resolution urging all government agencies to establish a disability inter-bureau technical working group to steer convergence of their departments’ programs and services on persons with disabilities,” Ms. Zubiaga recalled.
She noted that the results of the Medical Disability Survey conducted by the Department of Health and Philippine Statistics Authority using the Washington Group Set of Questions revealed that there was an increase in the percentage of persons with disabilities to the general population from 1.57 percent in 2010 to an estimate of 12 percent under the current census.
COSP 12 took from 11 to 13 June 2019 at the UN Headquarters in New York on the theme “Ensuring the inclusion of persons with disabilities in a changing world through the implementation of the CRPD.” The Philippine delegation is composed of representatives from the NCDA, Department of Health, Department of Information and Communications Technology, Commission on Human Rights and civil society organizations. END
For more information, visit www.newyorkpm.dfa.gov.ph, www.un.int/philippines or https://www.facebook.com/PHMissionNY/.