Activity report from Philippines

Spinal Cord Injury Foundation and Life Haven, Inc. conducted a 3 day Independent Living and Peer Counseling Workshop at Village Plaza Hotel, Barangay Maraykit, Municipality of San Juan, a first class municipality located in the Province of Batangas last April 2 ? 4, 2009 for the United Disabled Citizens of San Juan, an organization of people with disability. This was approved and supported by Mayor Danilo S. Mindanao through the Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office.

It was attended by 17 participants. Most of the participants are not severely disabled but they are having their own struggles. After seeing severely disabled people leading such an activity, most of them realized their potentials, increased hope for a better life and learned the possibility of severely disabled people to live in the community.

The United Disabled Citizens of San Juan intends to share the Philosophy of Independent Living to the other people with disability in the municipality and expand their membership.