BAGUIO CITY – The City Council approved on first reading a proposed ordinance requiring all business establishments and offices to provide vehicular space allotment within their parking areas exclusively for senior citizens and persons with disabilities (PWDs).
The ordinance authored by Councilor Edgar M. Avila stated all establishments and offices are enjoined to provide vehicular space allotment within their parking areas exclusively for senior citizens and PWDs and the space allotment shall be properly designated as senior citizens and persons with disabilities parking space.
However, the ordinance stipulated that only self-driven motor vehicles of senior citizens and persons with disabilities may avail of the parking space provided to them.
Under the Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2010 or Republic Act (RA) 9994, and RA 7277 or the Magna Carta for Persons with Disabilities, local government units are mandated to adopt measures where the elderly and the PWDs are recognized their places in society and thus take responsibility in giving full support to their improvement and total wellbeing to encourage them to continue to contribute to community and nation building.
According to the proposal, the senior citizens and PWDs have the same rights as everyone else and the public is encouraging them to live normally and independently which is not only the concern of the family or the community, but also of government by itself.
|Further, local governments are mandated to establish mechanisms to assist the marginalized sectors and manifest the public’s appreciation and recognition of their contribution to development.
The ordinance noted considering the daily voluminous number of motor vehicles that enter and park in the different establishments, offices, government or otherwise, and considering that seeking a space is a discomfort to the senior citizens and PWDs, there is a need to provide them with comfort and ease from further burden by allotting a small portion of parking areas for exclusive use of the elderly, the differently abled, especially the physically incapacitated.
The ordinance recognized the fact it is too taxing for the senior citizens and PWDs to be going around the city looking for parking spaces for their motor vehicles so they can attend to their transactions in the different establishments or offices.
Earlier, senior citizens and persons with disabilities who own motor vehicles have time and again complained of the lack of sufficient designated parking slots in the different establishments and offices in the different parts of the city which is in violation of existing laws, rules and regulations that were crafted for the marginalized sectors.
The ordinance asserted the local government continues to support the implementation of programs, projects and activities that promote the welfare of senior citizens and PWDs which are considered as part of those considered as the marginalized sectors.
The ordinance was referred to a committee for study and recommendation whether or not the proposed legislation will be passed on second and third readings./Dexter A. See
