BAGUIO CITY, July 15 -- The Department of Social Welfare and Development in the Cordillera Administrative Region (DSWD-CAR) said its 19 employees with disabilities were hired and retained based on their qualifications and performance, not because of their condition.

"They undergo the same performance management process, and the fact that their appointments are renewed means they are meeting the performance standards for their positions," officer-in-charge Regional Director Enrique Gascon said Wednesday.

"Indeed, they are performing. They are part of the regular workforce carrying out the department's mandate," he added.

Gascon said the agency's employees with disabilities include persons with physical and visual impairments, as well a...