THROUGH educational seminars and parenting workshops, the party-list group FPJ Panday Bayanihan is working to raise awareness of cerebral palsy both inside and outside of the community.
Brian Poe Lamanzares, first nominee of the FPJ Panday Bayanihan partylist, expressed his concern at the event he attended at the initiative of the Cerebral Palsy Epilepsy Family Awareness Support Group PH (CEFASGPH), a social service and support community founded by Marvin and Jessa Marmol, parents of Theo, an 8-year-old who’s been diagnosed with cerebral palsy and epilepsy.
According to Poe, parents of children with epilepsy or cerebral palsy already face many difficulties in their daily lives; therefore, financial assistance in the form of a disability allowance could help to alleviate the current disparity in support.
“I am with you in pushing for improvements to the policy of the government. We will do our best to craft relevant legislation na tugma sa pangangailangan ng ating mga mamamayan, lalung-lalo na ang mga batang may disabilidad (that will ensure the provision of the necessary services needed by children with disabilities). Together let us build a more inclusive and more progressive Philippines,” he said.
He added that advocacy and information campaigns on available interventions, including an increase of guidance counselors and special education teaching assistants, must be intensified.
It will be known that CEFASGPH, based in Bacolod City, is launching free seminar, assessment, and home therapy for children with cerebral palsy.
Either at cefasg.ph@yahoo.com or call at (087) 505 1642.
Physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech and language therapy, along with adaptive equipment, are popular forms of treatment for children with cerebral palsy.
Based on the data from non-government organization Philippine Cerebral Palsy Inc. (PCPI), there are over 300,000 Filipinos afflicted with cerebral palsy all over the country. Majority of which have no access to medical facilities for the treatment and alleviation of this condition, PCPI said.
