ACT-CIS Party-list Rep. Erwin Tulfo (Facebook)

ACT-CIS Party-list Rep. Erwin Tulfo blew his top on Tuesday, Nov. 19 after the Employers Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP) thumbed down a measure that would require private companies to hire persons with disabilities (PWDs). 

Under House Bill (HB) No.8941, which was principally authored by Tulfo, a company that has a total workforce of at least 1,000 must ensure that two percent of its employees are PWDs. 

The same bill says that small businesses with 100 employees or less must also hire PWDs at a rate of 1 percent of its workforce. 

The measure underwent deliberation Tuesday by the Special Committee on Persons with Disabilities chaired by Agusan del Sur 1st district Rep. Alfelito Bascug. 

According to the ECOP representative who attended the committee hearing as a resource person, the group's objection to HB No.8941 stemmed from the "additional cost" that purportedly came with hiring a PWD. 

“Additional training, facilities, and equipment if a business is mandated to hire a PWD…therefore additional cost," ECOP said. 

Displeased with what he heard, Tulfo said: “Yan ang lagi ninyong palusot. Additional training and facilities kaya dagdag gastos sa employer." 

(That's your usual excuse. Additional training and facilities leads to additional costs to the employer.) 

“Siyempre mag-hire ka ng PWD na kakayanin niya ang trabaho. Example pwede mga may kapansasanan sa paglakad sa front desk o office o mga IT (information technology)," said the popular Tullfo, a former broadcast journalist. 

(You're supposed to hire a PWD who can handle the job. Example, those who have disabilities with walking can be given jobs at the front desk or in IT.) 

“Bakit ka magha-hire ng PWD na hindi niya kaya? Kasalanan mo if kumuha ka ng PWD na hindi niya kaya ang trabaho dahil sa kanyang kapansanan,” added the visibly irked deputy majority leader for communications. 

(Why would you hire a PWD who cant so the job? It's your fault if you employ a PWD who can't perform the job dun to his or her disability.) 
 

CSC no-show irks Tulfo 

Tulfo became even more irritated when he learned from Bascug, that the Civil Service Commission (CSC) failed to send a resource person to the hearing despite being given an invitation. 

“Wala silang binigay na dahilan kung bakit hindi sila nakadalo sa hearing natin ngayon (They didn't give a reason for their failure to participate in our hearing today),” Bascug said. 

“I think it’s high time we subpoenaed this agency,” Tulfo said, adding that the no-show was a disrespect to the committee. 

Bascug agreed and later approved a motion to issue a subpoena against the CSC to send its officials to attend the next hearing. 

ACT-CIS Party-list Reps. Edvic Yap, Jocelyn Tulfo, Benguet lone district Rep. Eric Yap, and Quezon City 2nd district Rep. Ralph Wendel Tulfo were the other authors of the pro-PWD bill.