Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
TWENTIETH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. 2212
Introduced by Representative Ryan S. Recto 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
This legislative measure seeks to institute a National Autism Care Plan (NACP) 
for the support of Persons with Autism (PWAS) in order to protect and promote the 
rights of these individuals to a full, healthy and holistic life. The proposed bill also 
mandates the recognition of PWAs as persons with disabilities (PWDs) and therefore 
entitle them to the same range of beneﬁts and protection under existing laws. 
Autism, or autism spectrum disorder (ASD), is a broad range of conditions that 
affects communication and behavior. These usually appear by age two (2). People 
living with autism ﬁnd diﬃculty with communication and social interaction, have 
restricted interested and possess repetitive behaviors. They often have a “world of 
their own” and seek to ﬁnd meaning through routine. This may result in challenges at 
work, school and other areas in life. Autism, however, varies per individual and may 
manifest differently depending on the level of severity.  
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), autism 
usually affects 1 in 36 children. In the Philippines, it was reported that one in a hundred 
Filipinos are on the spectrum. This translates to around 1.2 million of our fellow 
countrymen.1 Many Filipinos grapple with the lifelong development challenges that are 
accompanied by ASD. Some, however, go undiagnosed due to lack of awareness, 
stigma and inaccessibility to diagnostic services.  
The urgency of this measure cannot be overstated. The country currently lacks 
a national surveillance program to diagnose and protect those living with autism. This 
seemingly lack of such makes if rather diﬃcult for government agencies as well as 
the private sector to assess the prevalence of autism as well as further study ASD. 
Agencies therefore cannot formulate an effective plan and allocate the proper 
resources necessary for its services.  
Compounding these challenges, while Republic Act No. 7277, otherwise known 
as the Magna Carta for Persons with Disabilities, exists, Persons with Autism (PWAs) 
are not formally recognized as a distinct disability category under the law. This critical 
1 Au$sm Society of the Philippines. 
July 23, 2025
8:50 am


oversight often leads to their exclusion from the full range of beneﬁts and protections 
intended for the disability sector. Similarly, the Department of Health does not clearly 
list autism as a distinct disability. Instead, individuals with ASD are often categorized 
under more general neurological conditions, rather than speciﬁc physical or mental 
disabilities. 
Through this proposed measure, we shall be able to mandate the 
comprehensive epidemiological surveys and early detection programs to ensure that 
all individuals are properly identiﬁed, assessed and provided with timely and 
appropriate interventions. With this, the true prevalence of autism in the country can 
be accurately determined and allocated with targeted resources and programs. The 
provisions of this measure shall also assure their mandatory coverage in PhilHealth 
programs, promote inclusive education and employment as well as the establishment 
of a national coordinating body to oversee the implementation of the National Autism 
Care Plan.  
This bill is a testament of the State’s commitment towards a society where all 
individuals are rightfully afforded their rights, dignity and equal opportunities 
regardless of their neurodiversity.  
In view of the foregoing, the immediate passage of this bill is earnestly sought. 
 Ryan S. Recto 
    Representative 
          6th District, Batangas 


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Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
TWENTIETH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. ______ 
Introduced by Representative Ryan S. Recto 
AN ACT 
INSTITUTING A PHILIPPINE NATIONAL AUTISM CARE PLAN FOR THE SUPPORT 
OF PERSONS WITH AUTISM AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES 
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines 
in Congress assembled: 
SECTION 1. Short Title. – This Act shall be known as the “National Autism Care 
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Plan Act.” 
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Sec. 2. Declaration of Policy. –It is hereby declared the policy of the State to 
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protect and promote the rights of all persons to full, healthy and holistic development. 
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As such, the State shall promote an environment conducive to the development of 
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persons with autism (PWAs) to become socially-accepted members of an inclusive 
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society. Towards this end, the State commits itself to the establishment of institutional 
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and social mechanisms to support PWAs throughout their lifetime, responsive to their 
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needs, empowering and providing them quality of life. 
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Sec. 3. Deﬁnition of Terms. – As used in this Act, the following terms shall be 
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deﬁned as follows: 
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a) Autism or Autism Spectrum Disorder refers to a neurological condition
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characterized by challenges with social skills, repetitive behaviors,
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communication, as well as by unique strengths, as deﬁned in the latest
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version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.
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b) Diagnosis refers to necessary assessments, including but not limited to
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neuro-psychological evaluations, genetic testing, MRIs, hearing tests and
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psychometric tests to diagnose or discount autism or developmental
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disabilities in individuals.
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2212


 
 
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c) Intervention refers to interceding action undertaken to help improve the 
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autism prognosis. Intervention in autism may take the form of medical, 
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pharmacologic, therapeutic, educational and non-traditional habilitative 
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care. 
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d) Epidemiology refers to the study and analysis of the distribution and 
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determinants of health conditions, like autism in deﬁned populations.  
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Sec. 4. Treatment as Persons with Disability. – All PWAs shall be treated as 
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persons with disability, as deﬁned under Republic Act No. 7277, as amended. They 
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shall be entitled to all the rights, privileges and beneﬁts provided for persons with 
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disabilities under existing laws. 
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Sec. 5. Continuing Education and Training on Autism for Public Service Providers. 
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– All oﬃcers and staff in charge of providing services to the public, including but not 
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limited to the Department of Health (DOH), Department of Social Welfare and 
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Development (DSWD), the Department of Education (DepEd), Department of Labor 
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and Employment (DOLE), Department of Justice (DOJ), Department of 
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Transportation (DOTr), Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), 
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Department of National Defense (DND), Department of Science and Technology 
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(DOST), Commission on Higher Education (CHED), Technical Education and Skills 
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Development Authority (TESDSA), National Council on Disability Affairs (NCDA), 
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Persons with Disabilities Affairs oﬃces (PDAOs) at the Local Government Units 
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(LGUs), Public Safety Units (military, police, ﬁremen and other ﬁrst responders), shall 
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undergo mandatory continuing education to sensitize and empower service 
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providers to become effective frontliners in the delivery of services to PWAs and their 
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families. 
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Sec. 6. Epidemiological Surveillance Programs. – The DOH, in coordination with 
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different academic institutions and non-governmental organizations is hereby 
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mandated to conduct an epidemiological survey to determine the prevalence of 
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autism in the country annually to provide data to government agencies and the 
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private sector, to make necessary services available to PWAs and their families. 
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Sec. 7. Evidence-based Research. – The DOH, the Philippine Council for Health 
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Research and Development (PCHRD) and the National Institute of Health (NIH) are 
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mandated, in coordination with local and international educational institutions, to 
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strengthen its research focus on autism; to invest in clinical and molecular studies 
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and grants to support the development of best practices in autism intervention in the 
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Philippines. 
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Sec. 8. Early Detection and Intervention of Autism. – The DOH, in coordination 
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with the DepEd, is hereby mandated to establish a program for early screening and 
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detection of autism, to provide the appropriate services to children and toddlers with 
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developmental delays associated with autism and to ensure the central PWD registry 
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is updated accordingly. 
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Sec. 9. Mandatory PhilHealth Coverage. – All persons with autism shall be 
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covered by the National Health Insurance Program of the Philippine Health Insurance 
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Corporation (PHIC). Funds necessary to ensure the enrollment of PWAs, who are 
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currently covered under any existing category, shall be sourced from the National 
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Health Insurance Fund of PHIC, earmarked from the proceeds of sin tax collections, 
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as provided for in Republic Act No. 10351. It shall likewise include the cost of early 
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screening and detection programs, as one of the available beneﬁts of its members. 
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Sec. 10. Protection Against Discrimination in Schools, Colleges, Universities and 
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Training Institutions. – The DepEd, CHED and TESDA shall formulate or update 
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policies and protocols to ensure that all educational institutions shall be inclusive to 
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learners with autism, in matters including, but not limited to, acceptance to academic 
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or training programs, instructional supports and behavior management.  
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Sec. 11. Provision for Equal Opportunities for Employment. – The DOLE and the 
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Civil Service Commission (CSC) shall formulate policies and programs to ensure that 
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adult PWAs are provided equal opportunities for gainful employment in the private 
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and public sector. 
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Sec. 12. Protection against Discrimination in Insurance Coverage. – The 
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Department of Finance (DOF) shall formulate or update policies and protocols to 
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ensure that all insurance providers shall provide PWAs access to life insurance 
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instruments and shall include allied medical procedures (like occupational and 
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speech therapies) in health insurance beneﬁts of policy holders. 
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Sec. 13. Protection in cases of Disasters and Emergencies. – The DILG and the 
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DND shall formulate the necessary policies and protocols to ensure the military, 
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public safety professional, LGUs and ﬁrst responders shall provide the necessary life-
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saving support to PWAs with behavioral and communication challenges.  
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Sec. 14. Access to Transportation. – The DOTr shall formulate the necessary 
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policies and protocols to ensure PWAs with behavioral and communication 
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challenges and their families are given reasonable accommodation in accessing all 
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forms of transportation by service providers over land, sea and air. 
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Sec. 15. Reasonable Accommodation in cases of Legal Action. – The DOJ shall 
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formulate the necessary policies and protocols to ensure criminal justice agencies 
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and professionals shall provide the necessary accommodations and protections to 
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PWAs in behavioral and communication challenges, who may be accused of, victims 
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of, or witnesses to crimes. 
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Sec. 16. The Philippine Council for Mental Health. – The Philippine Council for 
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Mental Health (PCMH), a multi-sector body established by the Mental Health Act to 
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provide for a coherent, rational and uniﬁed response to mental health in the country, 
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shall spearhead and coordinate the government actions to address the needs of 
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Filipinos with autism and their families. 
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Sec. 17. The National Autism Care Plan. – The PCMH, in coordination with other 
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government agencies and stakeholders, shall develop, regularly update and monitor 
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the implementation of the National Autism Care Plan (NACP), a holistic medium-term 
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plan to respond to the needs of PWAs and their families, such as but not limited to 
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ﬁnancial assistance, therapy, medications and equipment, for the guidance of the 
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stakeholders in the public and private sectors. The PCMH shall likewise coordinate the 
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development and implementation of necessary policies and programs to 
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operationalize the NACP and to ensure the needs of PWAs are served.  
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Sec. 18. Appropriations. – The amount necessary to carry out the provisions of 
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this Act shall be included and incorporated in the annual general appropriations of the 
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DOH. 
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Sec. 19. Separability Clause. – If any provision or part of this Act is declared 
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unconstitutional, the remaining parts or provisions not affected shall remain in full 
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force and effect.   
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Sec. 20. Repealing Clause. – All laws, executive orders, issuances, rules and 
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regulations inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed, modiﬁed 
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or amended accordingly. 
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Sec. 21. Effectivity. – This Act shall take effect ﬁfteen (15) days after its 
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publication in the Oﬃcial Gazette or in any two (2) newspapers of general circulation.  
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Approved, 
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