Orientation and Planning Workshop in New Lucena and Opol

The Orientation and Planning Workshop for the Officials of New Lucena and the Advocacy Seminar for Stakeholders on the NHE project were undertaken on September 17-19, 2008 at the New Lucena Polytechnic College Audio-Visual Room.

Objective: To develop a short-term action plan that will demonstrate and commit the support of the major players and other stakeholders of New Lucena and Iloilo Province to the NHE Project.

New Lucena participants' expectation after 4 years

The participants should be able to:

1. Increase their awareness and understanding of the basic principles of the NHE project;
2. Provide feedback on the current situation of New Lucena from the gathered data;
3. Surface the expectations of the community from the project;
4. Determine/Analyze the current situation of New Lucena including the available resources;
5. Identify and define the roles and responsibilities of stakeholders in the community on the implementation of the NHE project.

The Orientation and Planning Workshop for the Officials of New Lucena, Iloilo on the Non-Handicapping Environment (NHE) project and the Advocacy Seminar for the Stakeholders were held at the New Lucena Polytechnic College Audio-Visual Room, New Lucena, Iloilo on September 17-18, 2008. The two (2) day Seminar Workshop was attended by thirty nine (39) participants composed of municipal officials of New Lucena, Iloilo, focal persons on disability at the regional and provincial level as well as selected leaders with disabilities. The advocacy seminar was held on September 19, 2008 with forty one (41) participants comprising of New Lucena officials and representatives from the business sector; NGOs and the sector with disability including parents of children with disabilities.

The two-day activity included three (3) lectures as inputs to the workshops that were conducted and crucial for the implementation of the NHE project as follows:

New Lucena participants' expectation after 4 years

1. Understanding of the Concepts
   • Disability
   • Human Rights and Disability
     - UN Convention on the Rights of PWDs
   • Non-Handicapping Environment
   • Inclusive Community
   • Accessibility

   Prior to this, participants were grouped to make their own definitions of the concepts in order to establish a common understanding relative to the project.

New Lucena participants' expectation after 4 years

2. Non-Handicapping Environment Project for PWDs in the Rural Areas was tackled by one of the Resource Persons which included among others the following information:
   • How was the Project Started
   • Objectives and Goals
   • Five (5) Project Components
   • Criteria and Selection Process for the Two (2) Sites chosen
   • Benefits of the Project for LGUs
   • Roles and Responsibilities of NCDA, JICA and LGUs

New Lucena participants' expectation after 4 years

3. Defining the Five (5) Project Outputs was comprehensively discussed by JICA expert, Ms. Saito to wit:
   • Establishment of Implementing Mechanism
   • Profiling
   • Capacity Building
   • Advocacy
   • Networking

There were three (3) workshop sessions during the two (2) days Orientation and Planning Workshop wherein a briefer on the mechanics, objectives and expected outputs was given by Ms. Marlu F. Evangelista, Planning Officer IV, NCDA namely:

1. Workshop 1: The New Lucena: 4 Years After
2. Workshop 2: SWOT Analysis of the Five (5) NHE components
3. Workshop 3: Action Planning

In both lectures and workshops, Power-Point presentations and Meta card-writing technique were utilized to efficiently and effectively impart ideas and inputs crucial to workshop sessions aside from provision of discussion points and matrices to the participants. Open fora were provided to serve as venues for clarifications, suggestions and recommendations. NCDA Officers facilitated during the workshop sessions. Energizers and team building activities were provided for interaction to perk up the participants.

The major objective of the orientation and planning workshop was achieved which was to develop a short-term action plan that will demonstrate and commit the support of the major players and other stakeholders of New Lucena and Iloilo Province to the NHE Project.

Likewise, increased awareness and understanding of the basic principles of the NHE project, analysis of the current situation of New Lucena including its available resources and identification of the roles and responsibilities of stakeholders in the community on the implementation of the NHE project were realized.

Opol participants' expectation after 4 years

The Orientation and Planning Workshop on the Non-Handicapping Environment (NHE) Project for the Officials of Opol, Misamis Oriental was held at the Decentralized Learning Research Center (DLRC), Poblacion Opol, Misamis Oriental on October 8-9, 2008. It was attended by thirty-five (35) participants composed of municipal officials of Opol, Misamis Oriental, a focal person on disability at the regional and concerned non-government organization as well as selected leaders with disabilities.

During the orientation and planning workshop the following objectives were achieved:

Formulated a four (4) year plan that will contribute in making the Municipality of Opol a non-handicapping environment for persons with disabilities and generated the support of the concerned officials and other stakeholders of the Municipality of Opol for the NHE project.

Increased awareness and understanding of the basic principles of the NHE project, analysis of the current situation and identification of the roles and responsibilities of stakeholders in the community on the implementation of the NHE project were achieved.

A Planning Meeting with the Officials of the Municipality of Opol was conducted in the morning of October 10, 2008 at the Conference Room of the Mayor's Office. The discussions focused on the critiquing and evaluation of the two (2) days activities and the presentation of the Japanese Technical Cooperation policy. The major output of the meeting was a simplified 4-year Plan of action as guiding document in the implementation of the NHE project.

The Advocacy Forum on NHE Project for the Stakeholders of Opol, Misamis Oriental was held in the afternoon of October 10, 2009 at the DLRC, Poblacion Opol. It was attended by 36 participants comprising of Opol officials and representatives from the business sector, NGOs and the sector with disability including parents of children with disabilities.

The concept of the NHE Project and the 4-year Plan of Action were presented to the participants.

The sharing of initiatives on disability/accessibility and expression of support to the project by the stakeholders capped the advocacy forum.

Opol participants' expectation after 4 years

Opol participants' expectation after 4 years