The Department of Social Welfare and Development, Field Office 5 has recently turned over 71 pieces of assistive devices under the Grassroots Participatory Budgeting Project, to LGU of San Pascual, Masbate.

This assistive devices which was received by Mayor Zacarina Lazaro, are as follows: 21 quad canes, 31 wheelchairs, 21 cane and 4 pairs of crutches.

According to Mayor Lazaro, the provision of assistive devices to the differently abled persons of the municipality is first of its kind. Mayor Lazaro said that this project will provide an opportunity for the PWD sector to be able to be integrated in the society, especially those who have not been able to go out of their house because of the problem in mobility.

The LGU plans to provide these differently abled sectors with work training and employment or other services for income or profit. This is to enable them to realize their aspiration and become assets to their families and communities.

On the other hand, DWSD Director Arnel B. Garcia explained that the purchase of these assistive devices is still part of the 2013 project of the Grassroots Participatory Budgeting Project or the Bottoms-up –Budgeting.

The Grassroots Participatory Budgeting Project(GPBP) is an approach in preparing the budget proposal of agencies taking into consideration the development needs of the poor cities/ municipalities as identified in their respective local poverty reduction action plans that shall be formulated with strong of basic sector and other civic society organization. ###eejerusalem