Marian Rivera named Ambassador for Women and Children with Disabilities

Marian Rivera speaks at a forum at the House of Representatives on Monday after she was named Ambassador Women and Children with Disabilities. (Lira Fernandez/InterAksyon)

MANILA, Philippines | Television actress Marian Rivera is lending her star power to promote the rights of women and children with disabilities in the country.

Rivera said the public and the government should be sensitive to their condition and provide them with the needed support so that they can enjoy the same access to education, livelihood, health and social activities.

“Kung anuman po ang magagawa ko sa inyo, gagawin ko sa abot ng aking makakaya,” she said in a forum at the House of Representatives where she was named Ambassador for Women and Children with Disabilities.

In 2009, Rivera said she wore arm crutches in 140 episodes of the fantasy series “Darna” when she portrayed the role of the lead character, a crippled teenager named Narda who turns into a superheroine with the aid of a magical stone.

“Hindi ko po lubos maisip na ina-acting ko lang iyon sa isang araw. Aaminin ko po na nahihirapan talaga ako. So ngayon po na nakikinig ako sa inyo, ano pa kaya yung mga totoong hinaharap ito araw-araw o kaya panghabanmbuhay? Napakahirap,” she said.

The actress said she also recently played the role of a sister of someone with Down Syndrome, who experienced discrimination.

She said that a person’s disability should not be the basis of judging his character, stressing that a number of women with disability emerged successful in their career.

“I did some research and found out that Jessica Cox, who is armless, is a licensed pilot. And there’s Rosel Ambubuyog, who graduated summa cum laude from Ateneo despite being blind,” she added.

Rivera said she had also been exposed to people with mental illness during her on-the-job training in college. She finished a course in Psychology at the De La Salle University – Dasmarinas in Cavite.

Carmen Zubiaga, acting executive director of the National Council on Disability Affairs, said they chose Rivera as ambassador because they believed the roles she had played in the past made her aware and sympathetic to the plight of women and children with disabilities.

“Marian can help if she urges her fellow actors and the public to support the education for children with disabilities. With her popularity, the call will ring to the whole nation,” she said.

Zubiaga said support should be institutionalized so that parents of children with disabilities would be assured that someone will take care of their children.

She also proposed a public-private partnership for the establishment of a special school for children with disabilities so that they can have better access to education.

Marian Rivera named Ambassador for Women and Children with Disabilities

Source: InterAksyon.com (March 31, 2014 at 02:45PM)

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