TWENTIETH CONGRESS OF THE 
) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
First Regular Session 
) 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
HOUSE BILL No. 1960 
Introduced by REP. CLAUDINE DIANA D. BAUTISTA-LIM 
AN ACT 
PROVIDING FOR A COMPREHENSIVE ACCESSIBLE AND AFFORDABLE EARLY 
DETECTION AND TIMELY INTERVENTION FOR CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL 
NEEDS  
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
Children's primary years are essential. These years define children's survival 
and success in life, as well as lay the foundations for their learning and holistic 
development. It is in these years that children develop the cognitive, physical, social, 
and emotional abilities that will help them thrive1 and become able members of society. 
Children with special needs are particularly in need of immediate curative 
interventions.  Early detection and timely intervention are critical in lessening the 
effects of their condition.   With such intervention, developmental delays are 
immediately addressed in the hopes that these children may no longer need therapy 
or may just require minimal rehabilitative assistance later on, which will eventually 
improve their overall quality of life.  A study has reported that children who were 
assessed and given remedial services at a younger age were better able to cope with 
disability and had better prognosis than those who received help later.2 
While early intervention programs for children with special needs have been 
proven to be highly effective, several challenges hamper their implementation.  Among 
the significant challenges identified were geographic accessibility, prohibitive costs, 
and limited availability of specialized professionals, among others.   
Poverty-stricken 
families 
with 
special 
needs 
children 
often 
forego 
recommended health services due to economic limitations. “Children from low-income 
families, rural areas, and marginalized communities are less likely to have access to 
high-quality early intervention services. This lack of access can exacerbate existing 
1 https://specialeducationnotes.co.in/IDDPAPER1UNIT4 
2 Unit 4: Early Identification and Intervention 
July 16, 2025
8:02 am


developmental delays and widen the achievement gap between children with special 
needs and their typically developing peers. Moreover, even when services are 
available, there may be long wait times or limited availability of specialized 
professionals, further delaying critical early intervention.”3 
If children with developmental delays or disabilities and their families are not 
provided with timely and appropriate early intervention, support and protection, their 
difficulties can become more severe leading to lifetime consequences, increased 
poverty and profound exclusion.4 
To give hope for a better future for children with special needs and their families, 
this measure mandates the provision of special needs centers in all local government 
units.  This is to encourage families to have their children with special needs evaluated 
so that critical interventions are administered at the earliest possible time.  
In view of the foregoing, immediate approval of this measure is earnestly 
sought.  
REP. CLAUDINE DIANA D. BAUTISTA-LIM 
   DUMPER PTDA Party-list 
3 Pérez, Dr. M., & Ríos, N. (n.d.). The Effectiveness of Early Intervention Programs for Children with Special 
Needs. International Journal of Literacy and Education 2024. https://www.educationjournal.info/article/206/4-
2-8-410.pdf
4 Unit 4: Early Identification and Intervention


TWENTIETH CONGRESS OF THE 
) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
First Regular Session 
) 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
HOUSE BILL No. 1960 
Introduced by REP. CLAUDINE DIANA D. BAUTISTA-LIM 
AN ACT 
PROVIDING FOR A COMPREHENSIVE ACCESSIBLE AND AFFORDABLE EARLY 
DETECTION AND TIMELY INTERVENTION FOR CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL 
NEEDS 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
Section 1. Short Title. – This Act shall be known as the “Early Detection and 
Intervention Services for Children with Special Needs Act.”  
Sec. 2. Declaration of Policy. – It is the policy of the State to adopt an integrated 
and comprehensive approach to health development, which shall endeavor to make 
essential goods, health and other social services available to all its citizens at 
affordable cost.  Towards this end, the State shall support and empower children with 
special needs and their families by giving them better lifelong outcomes through 
accessible and affordable early detection and intervention services. 
Sec. 3. Definition of Terms. – As used in this Act: 
(a) Special Needs refers to a variety of conditions, difficulties, and impairments,
including but not limited to chronic and terminal illnesses, physical
impairments, behavioral, cognitive, or psychiatric issues, and learning
disability that causes an individual to require additional or specialized
services or accommodations such as education or recreation.  A child with
special needs may have a life-threatening condition or may have severe
learning disabilities.
(b) Intervention refers to a range of services, educational methods and positive
behavioral support strategies designed to improve the condition of children
with developmental delays, disabilities or special needs.
Sec. 4. Early Detection and Timely Intervention Services. – The Department of 
Education (DepEd), the Department of Health (DOH), the Department of Social 


 
Welfare and Development (DSWD) and the Department of Interior and Local 
Government (DILG) shall undertake to develop a program providing for 
comprehensive accessible and affordable early detection and timely intervention 
services for children with special needs.  The objectives of this program include, but 
not limited to, the following:  
a) To enhance the development of children with special needs, improve their 
long-term outcomes, and support their families in managing the challenges 
associated with raising children with special needs;  
b) To increase awareness, reduce barriers to screening and diagnosis, and 
promote evidence-based interventions for children with special needs or 
other developmental disabilities;  
c) To build a qualified and adequately trained workforce prepared to provide 
special needs services for children and their families;  
d) To conduct a comprehensive, multi-faceted public awareness campaign in 
order to educate families, the general public, and other key audiences about 
the benefits of children’s social and emotional development, and how to 
access services;  
e) To create a quality-driven children’s special needs system with shared 
accountability among agencies and programs that conducts continuous 
needs assessments, uses outcome indicators and benchmarks to measure 
progress, and implements a quality data tracking and reporting system.  
 
Sec. 5. Special Needs Centers. – All local government units shall endeavor to 
establish special needs centers offering early intervention and transition programs and 
shall provide programs and services that will prepare children with special needs on 
activities in mainstream society.  
 
As far as feasible and practicable, intervention and allied medical services shall 
be offered free of charge, including, but not limited to, occupational or physical therapy, 
speech therapy, counselling, social enhancement activities and other programs to 
address the skills or behavioral concerns of children with special needs. 
 
Sec. 6. Implementing Rules and Regulations. – The DepEd, and the DOH, in 
coordination with DSWD and DILG, and in consultation with relevant private sector 
practitioners and representatives of the academic and health community, shall 
promulgate the necessary implementing rules regulations to carry out the effective 
implementation of this Act, within ninety (90) days from is effectivity.  
 
Sec. 7. Appropriations. – The amount necessary for the implementation of this 
Act shall be charged to the appropriations or funds of the implementing agencies and 
concerned local government units.  
 
Sec. 8. Separability Clause.  If any provision of this Act is held invalid, the other 
provisions not affected shall remain in full force and effect. 


 
 
Sec. 9. Repealing Clause. – All laws, decrees, order, rules and regulations, or 
parts thereof, inconsistent with the provisions if this Act are hereby repealed, amended 
or modified accordingly.  
 
Sec. 10. Effectivity. – This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after the 
completion of its publication in the Official Gazette or in at least two (2) newspapers of 
general circulation.  
 
Approved,