The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) on Friday called on all business establishments to ensure that priority parking spaces are accessible to persons with disabilities (PWDs) and senior citizens, regardless of the type of vehicle they are using.

DSWD spokesperson Assistant Secretary Irene Dumlao stressed that priority should be based on the needs and rights of the individuals in the vehicle, not on its model or type.

“While the DSWD acknowledges that most business establishments already have reserved parking spaces for priority groups, including persons with disabilities, we want to reiterate that the priority should not be based on the model or type of vehicle, but on the needs and rights of the persons aboard the vehicle,” Dumlao said.

The DSWD’s statement follows a netizen’s complaint about being prevented from parking her e-tricycle in priority slots at two establishments in Paseo De Santa Rosa, Laguna, despite having her child and sister, both PWDs, with her.

The Subcommittee on Accessibility on Built Environment and Transportation (SCABET), under the National Council on Disability Affairs (NCDA) — an attached agency of the DSWD — called the incident “insensitive and discriminatory to persons with disabilities.” SCABET stated it constitutes a violation of Batas Pambansa (BP) Blg. 344 and Republic Act (RA) 7277, also known as the Magna Carta for Persons with Disabilities.