THE 21ST City Council approved on final reading the ordinance providing annual financial assistance of P1,500 to all qualified persons with disabilities (PWDs) on Tuesday, Sept. 30.
Councilor Enzo Villafuerte, chairperson of the civil, political, and human rights committee, said on Friday that the ordinance is a long time coming as it was proposed in the 20th City Council.
“The subsidy is the same with senior citizens, which is P1,500 annually,” Villafuerte clarified to the reporters in a sideline interview during the regular session.
The first rollout of the PWD subsidy will have the same amount as the seniors’ subsidy, but it might increase once the seniors’ subsidy also increases. He cited that the subsidy for senior citizens will be adjusted from P1,500 to P2,000 next year.
“I’m hoping by the time this will be implemented, which is in 2027, i-equal sa mga senior basin P2,000 na ang mahatag kung makaya sa budget,” he said.
He added that this is still subject to the availability of funds.
The councilor emphasized that qualifications do not require the beneficiary to have an apparent or non-apparent disability. Presently, there are about 37,000 registered PWDs in the city, which is subject to change as the office is expecting an influx of registrants.
One of the requirements will include a Certificate of residency of at least three years, aside from the PWD ID issued by the Persons with Disability Affairs Office.
For the mentally disabled, family members or guardians can represent those with a learning disability or who are bedridden. The program will roll out in 2027, as it was not included in the list for the annual budget for 2026, which had a deadline on September 10.
