DPWH holds training to enhance PWD's mobility in gov't infra projects
By Chito Chavez
The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) will hold a six-day training in a bid to enhance the capabilities of its district engineers on the accessibility audit in connection with the law that seeks to provide a safer and more comfortable mobility of the persons with disabilities (PWDs).
DPWH Secretary Manuel M. Bonoan said the training, to be done from Jan. 10 to 26, will capacitate all the country’s district engineers on the provisions of Batasang Pambansa 344, or “An Act to Enhance the Mobility of Disabled Persons by Requiring Certain Buildings, Institutions, Establishments and Public Utilities to install Facilities and Other Devices”.
He said the move is to ensure a more inclusive and accessible public infrastructure.
“We aim to continuously capacitate the district field executives as well as focal persons of BP 344 to enable them to conduct proper assessment and comprehensive accessibility audits of existing government buildings, ensuring that infrastructure are compliant to applicable codes and standards,” Bonoan said.
Johnson V. Domingo executive director of the National Building Code Development Office (NBCDO), who is also the DPWH representative of the National Council on Disability Affairs (ODR-NCDA),will also conduct a seminar on disability awareness and sensitivity to persons with disability (PWD).
“Through this seminar, DPWH commits to its thrust towards a non-handicapping built environment for all, keeping in mind that even a slight deviation from the accessibility law can make life more difficult for PWDs,” Domingo explained. (Chito A. Chavez)