The Philippines’ National Council on Disability Affairs (NCDA) is the national government agency that is authorized to formulate policies and organize the activities in all public or private agencies regarding any issues and concerns about disability. It is also one of the tasks of NCDA to monitor the implementation of laws to ensure the protection and safety of the disabled person’s political and civil rights. These laws include the Magna Carta for Disabled Persons otherwise known as Republic Act No. 7277 which is an act that provides self-development, rehabilitation and self-reliance of people with disability and supports their integration into the mainstream of society and other purposes. It also prohibits discrimination and protects the welfare of the people with disability. Another policy is the Angat Pinoy 2004 (MediumTerm Philippine Development Plan). It promotes interventions that are center-based, community-based and gender-sensitive welfare to the vulnerable, poor and disadvantaged people such as persons with disabilities by using the Total Family Approach. This strategic policy includes providing a priority access to the social services and safety nets to the disabled persons, targeting on the groups of people or areas that needs most of the social development, developing and making use of financing mechanisms and more advanced delivery for the provision of social services like home-based care for health also the alternative or non-conventional systems of learning such as the mobile and distance education, connecting and joining all the complementary roles of the government, private sectors, civil society and community in developing human capacities, strengthening the Local Government Unit’s capability to provide more social services effectively and making sure that at least 20% of the national budget is spent on the basic social services. The National Disability Prevention and Rehabilitation Awareness Week 2000 is also a disability policy that gives a ” special week” of awareness to the disabled people as well as prevention and rehabilitation of disabilities. Also there is a policy which is called Training by DECS of its personnel and teachers on handling schools or students of disabled people which is legislated in 1968 in which the teachers and staff of public school are trained by DECS on learning the procedures for people with disabilities. Under the Philippine Constitution of 1987, equal access of the opportunities on education and training must be provided to the persons with disabilities. Furthermore, Magna Carta for Persons with Disabilities 1983 states that equal rights and opportunities of employment is provided to disabled persons.
Canada
According to the Government of Canada, the goal of their disability policies is to decrease the barriers and improve the opportunities that would ensure and make it possible for the people with disabilities to participate well and fully in the society. Disability policies in Canada have strong legislative and legal framework which focused on programs that help disabled people live in ways that they find satisfying and that are useful to society as a whole. These policies make sure that people with disabilities access services, funding and training to allow them to go to school and be able to work in jobs that will provide them with an adequate standard of living and participate in their communities. Also, equality is one of the rights that are guaranteed to all Canadian citizens. One of the legislation regarding disability is the Canadian Human Rights Act 1985 which protects people from discrimination because of disability. It also aims to encourage full inclusion and participation of disabled people in all aspects of the community and social life. Physical and mental disabilities are prohibited grounds of discrimination under this Act in which ” duty to accommodate” is also included. This means that disabled people are allowed and entitled to the rights and freedom set to them without any judgement and it is their right to be recognized as part of the society without discrimination. Under the Employment Equity Act 1995, having equality in the workplace is the aim of the act so that everyone will have equal opportunities for employment no matter what their health condition is. It also encourages the hiring of disabled persons while prohibiting discrimination. According to the Future Directions to Address Disability Issues for the Government of Canada: Working Together for Full Citizenship, in order to help the disabled people to meet full inclusion in the society, there are 7 key areas that must be recognized and these are, enhancing the accountability and improving the program coherence and policy; establishing knowledge’s comprehensive base; establishing disability community capacity; addressing the needs of aboriginal people with disabilities; enhancing accessibility and eliminating barriers to disability income and supports; improving the employability of the disabled people and lastly reducing the rates of disability and injury through health promotion and prevention. Under the Social Union Framework Agreement, accommodating and empowering people with disabilities are their main goal. For the Federal level of the government, the Charter of Rights and Freedoms Constitution Act 1982 protect the rights of the people with disabilities to not be discriminated against. In the Section 15 of the Charter, discriminating people with disabilities is illegal in all the government of Canada. With regards to the provincial level of government such as in British Columbia, the British Columbia Human Rights Code aims to promote a society where in the disabled people’s right to participate in cultural, political, social and economic life are not limited and restricted. Also to have an environment in which they are being treated with respect and dignity, understood and ensured with equal rights.
New Zealand
The New Zealand disability policy aims to remove the barriers that would prevent people with disabilities and impairments to actively and fully participate in the society. The Human Rights Acts in 1993 states that the rights of disabled people will serve as the legislation in protecting their rights. This strategy recognizes the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi. Under the Human Rights Acts, discrimination among persons with disabilities is prohibited and that there has been an establishment of national awareness-raising project regarding the issues and concerns about disability. Also ensuring that the new houses and buildings in the society are accessible to the people with disabilities. The New Zealand Disability Strategy visions a society that gives great importance to the lives and continually enhances and encourages the full participation of disabled people in the community. The objectives included in NZDS are: encouraging and educating to have a non-disabling society, ensuring rights for people with disabilities, providing the good education and opportunities in employment and economic development for persons with disabilities, fostering leadership, awareness and have a responsive public service, creating a long term support systems that is centred on the individual, supporting quality living in the community, their choices of lifestyle, culture and recreation, promoting a full participation of disabled Maori and Pacific people, encouraging active participation of disabled women to improve their quality of life and giving value to the families/whanau and people who provides ongoing support.
International Policies on Aging
Philippines
Under the policies on aging in the Philippines, the Republic Act of 9994 otherwise known as Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2010 grants additional privileges and benefits to the senior citizens. The goal of this act is to recognize the senior citizens’ rights to give them chance to take part in society and make it concern of the government, community and family. It also provide full support to the improvement of the elderly’s total well-being and their full and active participation in society with taking into consideration that the senior citizens are essential part of Philippine society. Moreover, this act encourages and motivates the senior citizens to contribute and take part to nation building. Furthermore, it encourages the community where they live in and their families to reaffirm and respect the valued Filipino tradition in taking care of the senior citizens. And it provides a health care and rehabilitation system for the senior citizens with disability that is comprehensive to achieve a more productive and meaningful aging. The objectives of this act are to establish mechanisms that maximize the contributions of the senior citizens in the society; adopting measures so that the community as a whole would assist and appreciate the senior citizens; providing beneficial programs not only to the elderly but also for their families and the rest of the society they serve and that the senior citizens in each political unit of society must be given a community-based health and rehabilitation program. Also, under this act, the senior citizens have the privilege of 20% discount and exemption for the VAT or the value-added tax from all establishments. The privileges include medical-related, hotels and restaurants, domestic transportation, recreational centres, places of leisure and funeral services. Another act is the Philippine Institute for Aging Act that aims to promote and protect the right to health of the disabled people and encourage health consciousness among people by adopting a comprehensive and integrated approach to the development of health which aims to provide health and social services and essential goods that would be available to all the people at affordable cost mostly to the sick, underprivileged and disabled elderly.
Canada
There has a long history of policies and programs in Canada with regards to serving the older citizens. According to the policies of aging in Canada, it is the responsibility of both federal and provincial/territorial levels of the government to address the needs of the senior citizens. The federal government are the ones that delivered most of the income security programs. First policy and program is the Canada Pension Plan (CPP). The CPP, with the exemption of Quebec because it has its own Quebec Pension Plan, provides a taxable benefit monthly to the retired citizens and ensures protection to the contributor as well as his or her family against losing their income due to retirement. Another is the Old Age Security (OAS) which sets up a public pension scheme that assured a minimum and fixed income to most Canadians ages 65 years or older. Under the Guaranteed Income Supplement of 1967, the elderly Canadian recipients of low-income OAS are being provided with non-taxable benefit every month. The Spouse’s Allowance refers to the common-law partner or spouse who is currently receiving the GIS and OAS of low income seniors age 60-64 years old are eligible with the monthly benefits. Under the Elder Law, the Advocacy Centre for the Elderly supports the development of promising practice approaches, critical thinking in most key areas and systematic advocacy that includes concerns about housing that affects the elderly, issues on abuse and neglect and their rights on care facility. According to the Elder Law of Canada, the older Canadian citizens must be provided with the right to personal retirement savings in which the income tax deduction are being given for retirement savings to be registered for special plan, right to social security, right to adult protection, right to health care, right to community based long-term care, right to institutional long-term care, right to labour and income tax law that provide and supports the senior citizens to a lot of special provision.
New Zealand
The New Zealand policies’ on aging are continuously expanding and implementing a more comprehensive strategic approach that mainly focuses on the identifying and monitoring policies and programs for the elderly. The New Zealand Positive Ageing Strategy which was enacted in April 2001 strengthens Governments commitment in promoting the value and full participation of older people in the society. It aims to improve the opportunities for the older citizens to participate or take part in the community in every ways that they choose, giving importance to the contributions of the older people and that aging is being viewed as empowering and positive by both old people and younger generations. The policies of New Zealand Positive Ageing Strategy include empowering older people to make their own choices and decisions that would help them to live a satisfying life and result to having a healthy lifestyle, giving opportunities for the senior citizens to take part and contribute not only to their family/whanau but also to the community, reflecting positive attitudes towards older people, upholding values and strengthening the capabilities of older Maori and their whanau and making sure that older people who both lives in urban and rural areas live in an environment that is secured and receive services that they need.
International Service Delivery Policies on Disability
Philippines
With regards to the service delivery policies on disability in the Philippines under the social service sector, the policy that are being included is Magna Carta for Persons with Disabilities of 1983 which states that all disabled persons must be provided with equal opportunities on employment. Another is the Accessibility Act of 1993 that requires that all establishment and both private and public buildings must be designed as easily accessible to the disabled people and provides discounted fares on transportation and exempting them to pay for any postal services. With regards to the education sector, the service delivery policies that are included are the Promotion of education of the Blind which is legislated in 1963 that established the Philippine National School for the blind people, Training of teachers and staff by DECS regarding the proper handling disabled students and learning some procedures for people with disabilities and the Philippine Constitution 1987 which gives equal access of rights and opportunities on education to the persons with disabilities. Majority of disabled people does not go to school or did not even finish their studies due to the lack of educational facilities and inaccessibility or limited educational services for them. Other services that are available for the disabled people in the Philippines are the Vocational Training and Employment Promotion services include: Vocational Rehabilitation Act 1954 which established rehabilitation and vocational centres under the supervision and management of the Department of Social Welfare and Development; Economic Independence of Disabled Persons Act 1999 that requires all offices of the government to purchase office requirements worth 10% from the cooperatives of the disabled people manufacturing. There are also non-government organizations that provide and support programs and services to the disabled people such as the Community-based Rehabilitation (CBR) that is accessible to them to meet their needs.
Canada
There are several services available and accessible to the disabled citizens of Canada although it may differ from provincial to federal levels of government. For people with disabilities, the services available for them are: Assisted Living Program – which helps to maximize the level of functioning of the disabled people, encourage and assist them to maintain their independence and provide them a healthy and safe environment. Bureau of Pensions Advocates – offers legal assistance for free to the person who wants to request rulings on Veterans Affairs Canada’s disability pension and allowance application. Canada Pension Plan Children’s Benefits – provides a benefit monthly to the disabled contributor’s dependent children. Canada Pension Plan Disability Benefits – gives the disabled contributors and their dependent children a taxable benefit every month. Canada Pension Plan Disability Vocational Rehabilitation Program – provides a financial support for training, vocational counselling and job search services to the beneficiaries of Canada Pension Plan Disability Benefits to help them get back to work. Permanent Disability Benefit – Canada Student Loans Program – allows student loans for people who have disability and those who are having hard time to repay their loans because of their disability. Child Disability Benefit (CDB) – a benefit that is tax-free available for the families who are taking care of a child with a prolonged and severe impairment in physical or mental functions under the age of 18. Clothing Allowance – it is an allowance given every month to qualified veterans who have disability benefit. Entrepreneurs with Disabilities Program – offers services to the disabled entrepreneurs who are from western Canada communities and to those who want to start or expand a business. Grant for Students with Permanent Disabilities – disabled students may receive $2, 000 per academic year to cover all the costs of tuition, books and accommodation. Grant for Services and Equipment for Students with Permanent Disabilities – provides up to $8, 000 assistance that is non-repayable every academic year to disabled students that needs exceptional education services and equipment such as interpreters, tutors, braillers and technical aids. Literature for the Blind – offers a free-postage delivery service for the items that are used by the visually impaired people. Registered Disability Savings Plan – it is a long- term saving plan for the disabled Canadians and their families to have savings for their future. Opportunities Fund for Persons with Disabilities – helps the disabled people to obtain, prepare for and maintain employment through funding for organization. Residential Rehabilitation Assistance Program – provides financial support to let the landlords and homeowners to modify and make their property more accessible to the disabled individuals.
New Zealand
The New Zealand Public Health and Disability Act 2000 is one of the service delivery policies that are legislated in New Zealand. This act aims for the provision personal health services, public funding, public health services, and disability health services and to set out organizations for health and disability that are own publicly so that all the health services will be easily accessible to the disabled people. Moreover, under this act, Pharmaceutical Management Agency was established that subsidizes medications for disabled people. The New Zealand Blood Services was also made and funded. The Health Promotion Agency is established too to support wellbeing and health of people with disability, disease prevention and reduce personal, social and economic harm. Primary Health Strategy is also established in which the New Zealand Public Health and Disability Act 2000 provides the total accountability to District Health Boards for the health and disability needs assessments of communities in each regions also the service delivery and handling the resources to meet the needs of the disabled people. This strategy helps to improve, maintain and restore the health of disabled people. The Ministry of Health is also one of the agencies that offer services and support to the person with disabilities. Disability Support Services provides financial support to disabled people.
International Service Delivery Policies on Aging
Philippines
According to the service delivery policies on aging in the Philippines, the Republic Act No. 9994 states that it is the responsibility of the government to provide services and supports to the senior citizens. The services that are provided to the elderly are education services in which the older citizens are given an opportunity to access easily the education whether formal or informal with the on-going support from the government; assistance in employment is also provided to them and health services where in the Department of Health and the local government unit, non-governmental organizations and other private sector work together to introduce national health programs and deliver an integrated health services for the senior citizens. Furthermore, there will be a training of the community-based health workers that specializes in geriatric care and the health problems of the older people have. Also, in every government hospitals, a ” senior citizen’s ward” must be established; provide housing programs by building housing units for the elders; having social services such as neighbourhood support care, self and social enhancement services, after care and follow-up services and substitute family care; accessibility to public transportation; having an incentive for foster care; and providing additional assistance from the government such as the social pensions wherein they are eligible for a stipend every month. And a Mandatory Philhealth Coverage where in the older people will be covered with Philhealth’s National Health Insurance program and social safety needs that would provide safety assistance when they are being affected by calamities.
Canada
There are two categories of service delivery on aging that are established in Canada under the Canada Health Act which are the Insured Health Services and Extended Health Care Services. The Canada Health Act refers to the services that support and are being provided to the insured elderly like the physician, hospital and surgery-dental. On the other hand, the Extended Health Care Services are composed of ambulatory health care and services, home care and long-term and nursing residential care. In the mid to late 1990s, there have been regionalized health services on the healthcare delivery systems in Canada for the older citizens that swept much of the country. There was also an integrated health care delivery system that was made which includes community services, residential care, home care, home support, acute care and case management. Some of the service policies that are being provided to the older citizens of Canada are the Quebec Pension Plan and Canada Pension Plan. Both of these services are employment-based pension that gives an income every month to the elders. Also, there is Workplace Pension Plans, Personal Retirement Savings that gives income tax deduction on the savings of the retirees and the Old Age Security that provides pension every month to the senior citizens.
New Zealand
The New Zealand’s service delivery policy on aging aims to have an accessible, affordable and timely health services for the elders through promoting holistic-based wellness, developing health service options such as funding and delivery of primary, secondary, community support and residential care services and ensuring a multi-disciplinary inclusive geriatric needs; to have secure and sufficient income for senior citizens by monitoring the changes in living standards of all citizens and legislation enactment that would increase the safety of retirement income that is publicly provided; appropriate and affordable housing options for elderly by strengthening the legal protection for the residents in retirement village, providing adequate support on the cost of authority rates locally and working together with the local government to provide energy-efficient low-rental housing; provide easily accessible and affordable transportation options to the older people through ensuring that the lack of transportation will not be a barrier in accessing health services available for them; making older people feel safe and secure and can age in place by promoting and implementing safety awareness programs to older citizens, developing a wide range of programs, services and policies that supports ageing in place and improving the information delivery about the service and provisions for older people; provide a culturally appropriate services that would allow the older people to make their own choices through increasing the quality services by and for Maori and Pacific peoples and identifying concerns and issues about older citizens from ethnic communities; make the services accessible to the older people who are living in rural communities; ensure that people of all ages will have positive attitudes towards ageing and older people by making sure that all the government advertising agency and publicity campaigns; promote flexible work options and eliminate ageism by implementing policies on human resources in the government sector that would support employment of older workers, providing family-friendly working environment, giving entitlements for training and education to all workers including senior workers; and increase the chances and opportunities for community participation and personal growth to older people through improvement of education opportunities for all, implementation of adult training and education and promoting and supporting volunteer organisations.
Similarities and Differences in Disability
Similarities
The policy and service delivery on disability of the three countries have similarities with each other. Philippines, Canada and New Zealand have the same goal which is to promote wellness and optimum level of health of people with disabilities by establishing acts and legislations that would give them benefits. They make sure that disabled people will have a good quality of life just like the others. They all have provided and respected the human rights of the disabled people as part of the society. The three countries ensured that their disabled citizens have access to the health services and programs, education services and employment opportunities and regularly receives their benefits from the government. They encourage the persons with disabilities to live and participate in their community regardless of their medical condition. Also, they all wanted to provide a safe and non-discriminating environment to the disabled citizens wherein they are being respected and treated with equality and dignity.
Differences
There are also some differences with regards to the policy and service delivery on disability in these three countries. The difference is that in the Philippines due to its lack of and limited resources, some of the aims and objectives of the policies are not met and the service delivery cannot really support and be provided to its disabled citizens. Also, since majority of the disabled people in the Philippines are the ones who came from poverty, they have difficulty in accessing the service and programs available for them thus having unmet needs. In comparison to New Zealand and Canada, not all the people with disabilities in the Philippines can access or avail the services due to its insufficient support system and limited funding resources unlike New Zealand and Canada that they have enough funding and resources that would meet the needs of their disabled citizens. However, in Canada, the difference is that there policies and some service delivery differ from each territories. They vary among federal level of government and regional or provincial territories.
Similarities and Differences in Aging
Similarities
The three countries, Philippines, Canada and New Zealand’s policies and service delivery on aging have the same goal which is to promote a good quality of life among older people and have positive attitudes towards ageism. They all provide and offer accessibility to services such as health services and programs, employment opportunities, transportation and education opportunities if they wanted to pursue it. The three countries also provide pensions, entitlements, retirement benefits and discount grants to all older citizens.
Differences
However, there are also some differences between these three countries in terms of their policy and service delivery on aging. Philippines differ significantly to the other two countries (Canada and New Zealand) with regards to taking care of the elders. In the Philippines, we rely so much on family support system which is why we have very few nursing homes in our country unlike Canada and New Zealand that most of their elderly are living in a residential care facility. In the Philippines, our elders live with us in our home and the families are the one who take care of them in contrast with the other two countries that the nurses and caregivers are the ones who take care of the elders and the family would just come to visit them in the facility or nursing homes. Another difference is that Canada may have different health care services and policies in each provinces or territories because they have regionalized health services.
