• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
The House Committee on Health and Persons with Disabilities has approved House Bill No. 3379, or the proposed National Autism Program Act, a measure seeking to expand government support and services for Filipinos living under the autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
The approval was announced on Monday by Alfredo Abelardo Benitez, Deputy Speaker and Bacolod City lone district representative, who authored the bill.
According to Benitez, the proposed legislation aims to improve access to healthcare, education, and social services for individuals with ASD and their families.
Under the measure, the government would provide free developmental assessments and therapy services, expanded PhilHealth coverage, early detection programs, inclusive education initiatives, barangay-based therapy centers, and training opportunities through the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA). The bill also proposes additional leave benefits for parents caring for children with ASD.
“We will continue to push for the passage of this bill, with the goal of building a more inclusive system of care and support for children and families living with ASD,” Benitez said.
The lawmaker said the bill was filed in response to the growing needs of an estimated 1.2 million Filipinos, including nearly 350,000 children, who are living with autism.
Benitez highlighted the financial burden faced by many families seeking diagnosis and therapy services. Citing data from the United Nations Children’s Fund, he noted that poverty rates are 50 percent higher among households with children with disabilities.
“It is more than crucial that the government make available free or affordable services for the diagnosis and therapies of children on the spectrum,” he said.
To address the inaccessibility of treatment and intervention services, the bill proposes the establishment of an Autism Support Allowance Program under the Department of Social Welfare and Development, which would provide a monthly stipend of P4,000 to qualified families of persons with ASD.
The proposed measure also seeks to provide free developmental assessments for Filipino children up to five years old, free occupational, speech, and behavioral therapy in hospitals under the Department of Health, and free medicines for individuals diagnosed with Level 3 Autism.
Benitez pointed out that access to early intervention remains difficult because of the limited number of developmental pediatricians in the country and the high cost of consultations and therapy sessions.*
