Senator Imee Marcos is seeking to amend the Magna Carta for Persons with Disabilities to provide a P500 monthly stipend for indegent individuals with severe disabilities.
In her sponsorship speech, Marcos cited the limitations of the current Magna Carta (Republic Act No. 7277), which primarily benefits PWDs who have purchasing power.
“Although the Magna Carta for Disabled Persons provides numerous benefits and privileges, these are mostly enjoyed by those who, to a certain extent, have the necessary purchasing power,” according to her.
The proposed stipend, she emphasized, would provide much-needed relief to the most vulnerable PWDs.
“The 500-peso monthly stipend is a huge help to our poverty-stricken PWDs to aid in their daily expenses,” she added.
The Philippine Statistics Authority recorded 13 million PWDs in 2020. The Department of Health identified about 593,911 individuals as severely disabled, a group that Marcos believes should be prioritized.
Marcos also stressed the need for more efficient resource allocation to address urgent needs.
“If billions can be spent on flood control projects with questionable effectiveness, and medicines and food are left to spoil in storage, why can’t we allocate a portion of that to support marginalized PWDs?” she asked.IMT
