The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) called on the public to support the Philippine national women’s wheelchair basketball team as it competes at the 11th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Para Games in Solo, Indonesia from July 30 to August 6.
The Philippine Sports Association for the Differently Abled (PHILSPADA) Lady Warriors paid a courtesy call on DENR Undersecretary Ernesto D. Adobo Jr. at the DENR Central Office on July 20 at the culmination of the 44th National Disability Prevention and Rehabilitation Week.
“We are proud of the hard work that our national athletes put in their trainings and games to represent our country on the international stage, especially that of our PHILSPADA athletes. Hopefully, more people will watch and support them in their competitions,” Adobo said.
He added: “The DENR is more than happy to support the Lady Warriors as one of its members, Cathreen Gem Tanyag, is an employee of the DENR-Strategic Communication and Initiatives Service.”
Lady Warriors head coach Vernon Perea said Tanyag is one of the first athletes to be part of the Philippine National Women’s Wheelchair Basketball Team, which was formed last year in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.
“We initiated the efforts to form the women’s team, and we are grateful for the support of PHILSPADA and the Philippine Sports Commission to go forward with this. It is a big challenge for us to train, but we are optimistic that our work will produce good results,” Perea said.
The DENR, through its Persons with Disability (PWD) Desk, has been actively supporting PWD groups to assure the inclusion of its differently abled personnel in activities in and out of the agency.
The National Disability Prevention and Rehabilitation Week is observed every third week of July each year, pursuant to Proclamation No. 1870 issued on June 22, 1979. ###
