BACOLOD City – Negros Occidental 3rd District’s Rep. Alfredo Abelardo “Albee” Benitez has filed a bill seeking to establish the country’s first National Autism Program, aimed at providing financial, medical, and developmental support to more than 1.2 million Filipinos — including some 350,000 children — living with autism.
House Bill No. 3379 proposes the creation of an Autism Support Allowance Program under the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), which would grant a monthly stipend of P4,000 to families with members diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
The measure also mandates free developmental assessments for all Filipino children until age five, free occupational, speech, and behavioral therapy in Department of Health (DOH) hospitals, and free medicines for patients with Level 3 autism.
Benitez said the bill addresses the lack of affordable and accessible autism care in the country, noting that families face steep expenses — P4,000 to P5,000 for an initial consultation and about P1,000 per therapy session, often recommended four to five times a week.
Citing UNICEF data, he added that poverty rates are 50 percent higher among households with children with disabilities, stressing the urgency for state intervention.
“Every child, regardless of their abilities or differences, should be treated with dignity, respect, and equal opportunities,” Benitez said. “The government must provide necessary support to help persons on the spectrum reach their full potential and become self-reliant members of society.”
If enacted, HB 3379 would mark the first comprehensive and sustained national policy on autism support in the Philippines. (Watchmen Daily Journal)/PN
