70%
of those Filipino's live in the rural areas where services are not accessible.


Based on the information, the following are the reasons why both the government and persons with disabilities (PWD) themselves find it difficult to seek advanced help and blend in with society:

  • Lack of data on disability
  • Poor implementation of laws and policies
  • Lack of funds and human resources.
  • Non-availability or insufficiency of funds for both government and non-government organizations.
  • Limited reach and coverage of government programs.
  • Inadequate campaigns for public information and awareness.
  • Lack of regulatory measures to contain the proliferation of non-government organizations exploiting persons with disabilities.
  • Lack of proper representation in the legislative and executive branches and levels of government.
  • Low self-esteem of most persons with disabilities.
  • Negative attitudes of the family and community of persons with disabilities.

Mission

The Pilipinas Wheelchair Foundation is a non-profit organization with a local initiative to create an awareness on the needs of people with physical disabilities. Our goal is quite simple, to encourage fellow Filipinos to share and sponsor to our brothers and sisters a wheelchair for those who cannot afford it. We want to change the lives of the less-fortunate physically disabled and allow them to achieve some degree of independence with the wheelchairs. This will also lessen their families burden in caring for them.

Purpose of the Foundation

It is estimated that there are 5.8 Million Filipino's with physical disabilities requiring a wheelchair. 800,000 of these Filipinos cannot afford their own wheelchair despite the donations from various countries and international/local organizations. This is based on the international estimate of 6% of the total population and the World Health Organization's assumption that 10% of every country's population has somesort of disability.

This number is difficult to validate because of the resistance of family members to declare that they do have family members with disabilities. The 1990 census found that only 1% of the actual population is "disabled". A similar study by the Deparment of Health last 1997 has shown that there were only 460,000 "disabled" Filipinos. Both statistics were not officially recognized.