House Deputy Speaker and Las Piñas City Camille Villar has introduced a measure mandating concerned government agencies to make tourism sites persons with disabilities (PWD) and senior citizens-friendly.
In the proposed PWD and Senior Citizens-friendly Tourism Sites Act (House Bill 10349), Villar underscored the need to make tourism sites accessible to encourage more individuals to travel and explore the country’s beautiful sites, promote sustainable tourism, increase livelihood opportunities, and contribute to economic growth.
“Accessible tourism is the ongoing endeavor to ensure tourist destinations, products, and services are accessible to all people, regardless of their physical limitations, disabilities, or age. This includes publicly and privately owned tourist locations, facilities and services,” Villar said.
The lady solon said the absence of adequate travel and tourism facilities and services, along with discriminatory policies and practices, has long discouraged or prevented disabled persons, as well as their spouses, children, and caregivers, from traveling and exploring the country.
“As we grow older, our chance of experiencing a permanent or temporary disability is increased. A focus on accessibility can therefore ensure that we are able to participate fully in our societies well into our older years. Accessibility also benefits pregnant women and persons who are temporarily rendered immobile,” she added.
Villar also cited the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), which was adopted by the UN General Assembly in December 2006 and ratified by the Philippines on April 15, 2008, which calls on State parties to take appropriate measures to ensure that persons with disabilities have equal access to the physical environment, information, transportation, and other facilities and services open or provided to the public.
Under the bill, the Department of Tourism, in coordination with the Department of Public Works and Highways, the National Council on Disability Affairs, and the National Commission of Senior Citizens, are enjoined to ensure that tourism sites are equipped with physical infrastructure facilities that are PWD and senior citizen-friendly.
