The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Bicol has intensified its campaign on Disability-Inclusive Disaster Risk Reduction Management (DRRM) through a seminar workshop held in Albay province.

Titled “Strengthening Inclusivity: National Disability Rights Week Focus on Disability-Inclusive Disaster Risk Reduction Management,” the event saw participation from the Bicol Federation of Persons with Disabilities, Persons with Disabilities Affairs Offices, and various PWD focal persons.

During the seminar, Mr. Ira Q. Largoza, a former Program Officer at the Simon of Cyrene Community Rehabilitation and Development Foundation, Inc., and a Humanitarian Response volunteer, addressed the challenges faced by persons with disabilities (PWDs) during calamities. He also discussed Community-Based Rehabilitation and Community-Based Inclusive Development.

PWD participants engaged actively in resilience-building games and activities, which assessed their knowledge, understanding, and readiness for disaster situations.

In his message, DSWD Bicol Regional Director Norman S. Laurio emphasized that the seminar workshop was not only a celebration of National Disability Rights Week but also a call to action and an opportunity to take concrete steps toward a more inclusive society.

“As the Regional Director of DSWD Bicol, and in alignment with the directives of our Secretary and the President of the Philippines, we are committed to ensuring that no one is left behind. We will include and prioritize all sectors, especially PWDs, in our provision of social protection services. Their needs and concerns must be central to our disaster risk reduction and management efforts,” he stated.

He also reaffirmed his commitment to ensuring that PWDs are integral to advancing disability rights within the DRRM framework by fostering collaboration among government agencies, non-governmental organizations, private sectors, and local communities.

This event marked a significant step forward in incorporating PWDs’ needs and perspectives into disaster preparedness and response strategies across the Bicol region.