The controversial wheelchair ramp at the Philam station of the EDSA Bus Carousel will be temporarily closed, according to the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA).
Acting MMDA chairman Don Artes said that the closure is due to a wheelchair platform or lift installation, which will take one to two months.
Recently, the MMDA garnered criticism after building a ramp for persons with disability (PWDs) that was too steep.
The ramp went viral as its photos and videos went circulating online. One video showed a wheelchair user and his companion faced with difficulty as they used the ramp. As a result, many netizens commented that the MMDA is wasting government funds.
Artes, however, still defended the ramp. He said that the ramp appeared to be ‘steep’ for PWDs because of the camera angle of the person who took the photo and posted it online.
“The angle that went viral on Facebook looks like a slide. However, if you look at it from another angle, it’s not that steep,” Artes said.
Moreover, the contractor of the wheelchair ramp promised to install the platform or lift for free, assuring that the government would not have to incur any expenses for the improvements to the ramp.
According to a GMA News report, Architect Armand Eustaquio from the United Architects of the Philippines (UAP) said that the ramp had a slope of 14.15 degrees. This is higher than the 4.8-degree slope that is required by the law.
Moreover, the MMDA initially said that they would assign personnel to assist PWDs who might have a difficult time using the ramp as the slope would “not be too steep” for non-PWDs.
Meanwhile, Markus Operiano, officer-in-charge of the Malabon city government’s disability affairs office and a PWD himself, that there is a law that ensures the mobility of PWDs.
According to Batas Pambansa 344, the law mandates that the ramp’s slope should have a“maximum gradient of 1:12” or “for every 12 inches, the slope or incline should only be an inch.”
This means that the ramp should give PWDs independence. “Even without a companion, the PWD should be able to maneuver,” Operiano said.
