42 2020 Annual Report on the Human Rights Situation in the Philippines jobs, most of them being blind massage therapists, there was a total stoppage of their work and livelihood activities.178 129 In general, the outbreak of COVID-19 worsened the situation of persons with disabilities and exacerbated existing inequalities as more barriers emerged that hinder the fulfillment of their human rights. The root cause remains that persons with disabilities are not part of decision-making to address the COVID-19 pandemic, in emergency response and relief operations, and the specific vulnerability and protection needs are not considered in designing government interventions.179 130 The DILG issued Memorandum Circular No. 2020-066 entitled “Guidelines on Providing Proper Welfare of Persons with Disabilities During the Enhanced Community Quarantine Due to the Corona Virus 2019 (COVID-19).” This memorandum circular orders LGUs from the provincial government down to the barangay level to create a list of PWDs within their area of jurisdiction and include them in the distribution of food packs, including the kind of food and medicine they receive.180 131 DILG also issued Memorandum Circular No. 2020-066 based on CHR Advisory (V) A2020-009 which calls for a disability-inclusive response to the COVID-19 crisis and implores the Philippine Government to maintain a gender and intersectional framework, with emphasis on reasonable accommodation of multiple vulnerabilities of all types of persons with disabilities.181 132 The CHR advisory likewise emphasized the need for the mandatory presence of Filipino sign language (FSL) interpreters in mediums with information pertaining to news, announcements and press conferences of the government on the COVID19 pandemic, in line with the Magna Carta on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (R.A. No. 7277) and the Filipino Sign Language Act (R.A. No. 11106).182 Rights of Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) During the COVID-19 Pandemic 133 IDPs affected by Typhoon Yolanda have listed the following issues: (a) Access to basic services at permanent housing sites are an on-going concern of beneficiaries as some are transferred to the permanent housing units with no water or electrical connections at Tacloban North; (b) Stable alternative livelihood programs for the transferred beneficiaries remains a recurring problem; (c) Validation of families to be awarded with permanent housing units affected by Typhoon Yolanda is still on-going; (d) Non-completion of the Yolanda Permanent Housing Project (YPHP) this year (2020). The IDP Monitoring Project in Region VIII report focuses on the continued monitoring and updating of the human rights situation of IDPs with the on-going Yolanda Rehabilitation and Recovery programs implemented by the national government, local government and other public and private partners. 178 (2020). Regional Human Rights Situation Report January 2020 to June 2020. Baguio City: Cordillera Administrative Region Office. 179 CHR (V) A2020-009. 180 Ibid. 181 DILG MC 2020-066. https://dilg.gov.ph/issuances/mc/Guidelines-on-Providing-Proper-Welfare-of-Personswith-Disabilities-during-the-Enhanced-Community-Quarantine-due-to-the-Coronavirus-2019-COVID-19— Pandemic/3189. 182 CHR Advisory. http://chr.gov.ph/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Human-Rights-Advisory-HR-in-the-times-ofCOVID-19-in-the-PHL-in-pursuit-of-the-rights-based-model-of-disability-amid-the-COVId-19-pandemic-thein-the-PHL-CHR-V-A2020-009.pdf.