Cordillera Administrative Region- The Regional Committee on Disability Affairs- Cordillera Administrative Region (RCDA CAR), with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) CAR serving as Secretariat , conducted a two-day orientation activity for local government representatives on 21- 22 November 2025 to strengthen their capacities and enhance local implementation of disability-inclusive programs and services.

The orientation which was organized by the Regional Council on Disability Affairs–Cordillera Administrative Region (RCDA-CAR) was attended by Disability Affairs Officers and Provincial Social Welfare and Development Officers (PSWDOs) across the region to address gaps in the implementation of Republic Act 10070, or the Persons with Disability Affairs Office (PDAO) Law. The activity was held in response to reports that some local government units have yet to establish their PDAO or designate a focal person for disability-related concerns.

During the orientation, participants were capacitated on the standard PDAO processes and guided on the use of the Handbook on PDAO Processes, which was developed through the National Council on Disability Affairs’ (NCDA) commitment under Joint Memorandum Circular (JMC) No. 1, series of 2023, issued jointly with the DSWD and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG). Important updates concerning PWDs were also provided by the Department of Health (DOH), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Land Transportation and Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB), and Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).

The JMC mandates these agencies to conduct capacity-building activities and provide technical assistance to Local Social Welfare and Development Offices (LSWDOs) and PDAOs to ensure that social welfare programs promote equal access, inclusion, and participation of persons with disabilities.

Aside from the orientation, the activity also served as a venue for a consultation dialogue, allowing participants to raise local concerns and insights to help ensure that services for persons with disabilities are inclusive, sustainable, and responsive to the unique needs of their communities. Baguio PDAO represented by Disability Affairs Officer I Karen Joy Lang-ay shared the good practices and innovations of Baguio City including the establishment of livelihood center for PWDs, conduct of regular capacity building activities, and close coordination with different stakeholders to provide more efficient and effective services to the said sector.

In her closing message, DSWD FO CAR Regional Director Maria A. Catbagan-Aplaten, PhD said that the DSWD continues with its commitment for inclusion. “Inclusion is not just a program but it is a commitment to see people for their abilities, not their disabilities. It is a promise that no person is left behind, ignored or undervalued”, Director Aplaten shared.

She also thanked and urged the participants to continue with their commitment towards promoting the rights of the vulnerable sector. “Thank you for your dedication, passion, and unwavering commitment to the sector. May you continue to be instruments of hope, inclusion and transformation in every community we serve. Let us serve not just with our minds but with our hearts Let us turn knowledge into action, empathy to empowerment, and policies into real, transformative change”, Director Aplaten said.