• THERESA MAE DULMAN
The Bacolod Sangguniang Panlungsod unanimously approved on third and final reading the PWD Social Pension Reform Ordinance that aims to strengthen and expand the city’s social pension program for persons with disabilities.
The ordinance, authored by Councilor Atty. Caesar Distrito, amends City Ordinance No. 1010, Series of 2022, to broaden the definition of disabilities and specify expanded qualifications for eligibility.
Under the updated definition, the program now expressly includes individuals with orthopedic, visual, hearing, and chronic illnesses, as well as psychosocial disabilities such as autism, Down syndrome, and epilepsy.
To qualify for the pension, a PWD must be a registered voter or a resident of Bacolod for at least one year and meet specific criteria, such as being bedridden, having severe health conditions like cancer, or be unemployed with two or more dependents.
The reform also covers children with developmental disabilities and individuals with severe physical impairments, provided their annual gross income, or the combined income of their primary caregivers does not exceed P180,000.
Distrito said that the reform aims to ensure that more vulnerable persons with disabilities facing severe medical and economic challenges can access assistance from the city.*
