Davao City — Davao Light & Power Co. (DLPC) is set to produce for its visually-impaired clientele distinctive electric bills in the Braille system, the method of embossed dots that allows blind people to read and write
The Aboitiz Power Group member DLPC signed a memorandum of agreement (Moa) with the Resources for the Blind, Inc. (RBI) on November 17 to enable its visually-impaired customers to read their electric bills on their own instead of requesting others with normal eye sight to read it for them.
The Braille system was devised in 1821 by blind Frenchman Louis Braille. Each Braille character or cell is made up of six dot positions, arranged in a rectangle containing two columns of three dots each. A dot may be raised at any of the six positions to form sixty-four permutations, including the arrangement in which no dots are raised.
DLPC partnered with RBI in implementing this project to ensure that the company is linked up with the right customers and informed of their exact number. RBI is a non-profit organization devoted to removing the obstacles that prevent the visually-impaired Filipinos from reaching their full potential.
According to the agreement RBI, as the project partner, will provide Davao Light with a list of visually-challenged customers and updates the same from time-to-time. Also, RBI shall do the printing and distribution of the bills in Braille for the electric utility to customers included in the list of the former. Davao Light, for its part, shall shoulder all expenses that may be incurred in the printing and delivery of the bills in Braille.
DLPC executive vice president Manuel M. Orig said the specially printed electric bills shall be attached to the regular monthly bill. However, the bill in Braille shall only contain details as status of the bill, name and address of bill recipient, amount to be paid, due date.
RBI Davao director Arminia O. Mojica said her group is very happy by the concern shown by Davao Light and its officials for the visually-challenged sector of its customers. (PIA)
