Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City,  Metro Manila
NINETEENTH CONGRESS
Second Regular Session
House Bill No.   10106
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Introduced  by Rep. FERDINAND ALEXANDER A. MARCOS
lst District,  llocos Norte
EXPLANATORY NOTE
The  1987  Philippine  Constitution  states  that  in  the  matter  of  health  services,
priority shall be given to the needs of the underprivileged sick, elderly,  d/.sab/ed,
women,  and  chi./dren (Section  11, Article Xlll,  italics supplied).
Autism  or autism  spectrum  disorder (ASD)  is  a  neurological  condition  that first
appears during infancy or childhood, and it affects how people perceive and relate
to    one    another   which    can    cause    problems   with    social    interaction    and
communication.   It   is   characterized   by   difficulty   with   social   skills,   repetitive
behavior and  non-verbal communication.
To  date,  it  has  been  estimated  that there  are  more than  a  million  Filipinos with
autism.  All  persons  with  autism  (PWAs)  require  special  attention  and  expert
healthcare.   Sadly,   however,   government   support   for   PWAs   is   significantly
lacking.  They are  still  often  subject to  stigma  and  discrimination,  and  they  lack
access to healthcare, education and employment opportunities.
With  proper  attention,  guidance,  education  and  training,   PWAs  can  become
productive members of society.
There  is  a  need  to  put  in  place  a  comprehensive  framework  and  implement
programs that will  help society understand,  accept,  support and  even  empower
PWAs.  Measures  must  be  established  with  regard  to  autism-screening,  early
diagnosis,  autism  research  as  well  as  intervention  programs.  Addressing  the
needs  of  PWAs  by  improving  their access  to  education,  intervention,  therapy,
employment and  care,  will  hopefully  redound  to  a  better quality of life for these
needy citizens.                                                          ,
In view of the foregoing  reasons, the immediate approval of this  bill  is earnestly
requested.
FERDINAND ALEXANDER A.  MARCOS


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City,  Metro Manila
NINETEENTH CONGRESS
Second Regular Session
House Bill No.10106
Introduced by Rep. FERDINAND ALEXANDER A. MARCOS
lst District,  llocos Norte
AN  ACT  INSTITUTING  A  COMPREHENSIVE   NATIONAL  CARE  PLAN  T0
ENCOURAGE  COOPERATloN,  ACCOUNTABILITY  AND  RESEARCH  FOR
THE  EDUCATION  AND  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 ri.I/e. -This Act shall be known as the "Aufr.sin Coaperafi.on,
Accountability, Research, Education and Support (CARE:S) Act'',
SEC. 2.   Dec/araffon of po//.cy. -The State hereby affirms its role in protecting
and  upholding the rights of all persons with disability,  by giving full support to the
improvement of their well-being and their integration into mainstream society. To
this  end,  the  State  recognizes the  need  to  legislate for the distinctive  needs of
persons  with  autism  (PWAs)  and  commits  itself to  institutionalizing   adequate
policies and  programs that shall  increase awareness and  proper understanding
of  autism,  to  develop  a  clear  and  consistent  pathway  to  early  detection  and
diagnosis,  provide  access  to  quality  education  and  employment  opportunities
such  that  PWAs  may  live  independently  within  the  community,  to  minimize  or
completely  eradicate  discrimination  and  to  enable  the  private  sector to  extend
relevant services that will complement the government's programs.
SEC. 3. Deffn/.I/.on of Terms. --As used in this Act, the following terms shall mean:
a.)  Awl/.sin   -   refers   to   a    neurological    condition    characterized    by
challenges with  social  skills,  repetitive  behaviors,  communication,  as
well  as  by  unique  strengths,  as  defined  in  the  latest  version  of the
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders;
b.)  D/.agnos/.s -refers to necessary assessments, including but not limited
to  neuro-  psychological  evaluations,  genetic  testing,   MRls,   hearing
tests,   psychometric   tests   to   diagnose   or  discount   autism   and/or
developmental disabilities in  individuals.
c.)  /ntervenfr.on -refers to interceding action undertaken to help improve
the  autism  prognosis.   Intervention  in  autism  may  take  the  form  of
medical,  pharmacologic,  therapeutic,  educational,  and  non-traditional


habilitative care;
d.)  Ep7.dem7.o/ogy -  refers  to  study  and  analysis  of the  distribution  and
determinants of health conditions,  like autism,  in defined populations.
SEC. 4. Treatment as Persons with Disability. -AII PWA\s shall be treated as
persons with  disability,  as  defined  under  Republic Act  No.  7277,  as  amended.
They  shall  be  entitled  to  all  the  rights,   privileges,  and   benefits  provided  for
persons with disabilities under Republic Act No.  10754 and other related laws.
SEC.  5.  Inter-Agency  Cooperation,  Accountability  and  Research.  -The
Department of Health (DOH),  in coordination with  Department of Social Welfare
and   Development   (DSWD),   National   Council   on   Disability   Affairs   (NCDA),
Department  of  Education   (DepEd),   the   Philippine   Council  for  Mental   Health
(PCMH),   other  academic   institutions   and   non-governmental   organization,   is
hereby mandated to establish and evaluate the following activities:
a.)   Inform and educate on such disabilities to increase awareness relating
to   causes,   early   detection,   management,   treatment   as   well   as
development milestones;
b.)   Promote research into the development and validation of reliable
screening tools for such disabilities;
c.)   Develop  a  curriculum  for continuing  education  to  assist  individuals
in  recognizing the need for, and using, valid and reliable screening
tools;
d.)  Promote early screening of children and individuals at higher risk for such
disabilities;
e.)   Promote    research    to    determine    evidence-based    practices    for
interventions,     develop    guidelines    for    those    interventions    and
disseminate information related to such research and guidelines; and
f.)     Encourage public participation in decisions relating to such disabilities.
SEC. 6. Continuing Education and Training on Autism for Public Providers.
-All officers and staff in charge of providing services to the public,  including but
not limited to the Department of Health (DOH), Department of Social Welfare and
Development (DSWD),  Department of Education (DepEd),  Department of Labor
and    Employment   (DOLE),    Department   of   Justice    (DOJ),    Department   of
Transportation (DOTr), Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), the
Department of National Defense (DND), Department of Science and Technology
(DOST),  Commission  on  Higher  Education  (CHED),  Technical  Education  and
Skills  Development  Authority  (TESDA),   National  Council  on   Disability  Affairs
(NCDA),    Persons   with    Disabilities   Affairs   Offices   (PDAOs)   at   the    Local
Government Units (LGUs), Public Safety Units (military, police, firemen and other
first  responders),   shall   undergo  education  and   training  to   empower  service
providers  to  become  more  responsive,  sensitive,  and  compassionate  in  the
delivery of services to PWAs and their families.
SEC.   7.   Ep/.den/.a/ogi.ca/  Surve/.//ance.  -  The   Department  of  Health,   in
coordination    with    different    academic    institutions    and     non-governmental
organization  is hereby mandated to annually conduct an epidemiological survey
to   determine   the   prevalence   of   autism   in   the   country  to   provide   data   to


government agencies and  the  private  sector,  and  to  make  necessary services
available to PWAs and their families.
SEC.  8.  Evi.dence-based Research,  - The  DOH,  the  Philippine  Council  for
Health Research and Development (PCHRD), and the National Institute of Health
(NIH)  are  mandated,  in  coordination  with  local  and  international  mental  health
institutions, to promote, create, develop, and adopt research and strategic plans
that  will   continue  to   determine   and   establish   evidence-based   practices  for
interventions in the treatment, care and integration into society of PWAs,
SEC.  9.   Early  Detection   and  Intervention  of  Autism.  -  The  Dol+,  .in
coordination with the DepEd, is hereby mandated to establish a program for early
screening and detection of autism, to provide the appropriate services to children
and  toddlers with  developmental  delays associated with  autism,  and  to  ensure
the central PWD registry is updated accordingly.
SEC.    10.    Protection    Against    Discrimination    in    Schools,    Colleges,
Un/.vets/.f/.es and 7+a/.n/.ng /nsf/.fur/.ons. -The DepEd, CHED and TESDA shall
formulate   or   update   policies   and   protocols   to   ensure   that   all   educational
institutions shall be inclusive to learners with autism, in matters including, but not
limited  to,  acceptance  to  academic  or training  programs,  instructional  support,
and behavior management.
SEC.11. Provision for Equal Opportunities for Employment. -The DOL:E
and  the  Civil  Service  Commission  (CSC) shall  formulate  policies and  programs
to ensure that PWAs are provided equal opportunities for gainful employment and
apprenticeship opportunities in the private and  public sector.
SEC.     12.     Mandatory    Insurance     Coverage     and     Prohibition     Against
Discrimination thereof.
-All persons with autism shall be automatically covered by the National Health
Insurance  Program  of the  Philippine  Health  Insurance  Corporation  (PHIC)  as
provided   under   Republic   Act   No.   11228.   Funds   necessary   to   ensure   the
enrolment of PWAs, who are currently covered under any existing category, shall
be  sourced  from the  National  Health  Insurance  Fund  of PHIC,  earmarked from
the proceeds of sin tax collections,  as provided for in  Republic Act No.10351.  It
shall   likewise   include  the  cost  of  early  screening,   detection   programs,   and
maintenance  medical  procedures  such  as  therapies  as  part  of  the  available
benefits of its members. The DOH shall coordinate with the PHIC to ensure that
insurance  packages are available to  PWAs. The  Department of Finance (DOF)
shall likewise issue guidelines to ensure that all insurance providers shall provide
PWAs  access  to   life  insurance  instruments  and   shall   include  allied   medical
procedures (like occupational and speech therapies) in health insurance benefits
of  policy holders.
SE.C. 13.  Protection  in  Cases of Disaster and Emergencies. -The DILG,
DSWD  and  the  DND  shall  formulate  the  necessary  policies  and  protocols  to
ensure that the military,  public safety professionals,  local government units, and
first  responders  shall  provide the  necessary  life-  saving  support to  PWAs with
behavioral  and  communication  challenges,  in times of disasters,  calamities and


other emergencies.
SEC. 14. Access fo rransporfafi-on. -The DOTr shall formulate the necessary
policies  and   protocols  to  ensure  PWAs  with   behavioral  and   communication
challenges and their families are given reasonable accommodation in accessing
all forms of transportation by service providers over land, sea and air.
SEC.15.  Reasonable Accommodation  in  Legal  Proceedings. -The DOJ
shall  formulate  the  necessary  policies  and  protocols to  ensure  criminal justice
agencies  and  professionals  shall  provide  the  necessary  accommodation  and
protection  to  PWAs  in  behavioral  and  communication  challenges,  who  may  be
accused of, or become victims of, or witnesses to crimes.
SEC.  16.  The  Ivaf/-ona/ Adf/.sin  CARES  P/an.  -The  Philippine  Council  for
Mental Health (PCMH), a multi-sector body established by the Mental Health Act,
in coordination with other government agencies and stakeholders, shall develop,
regularly update and monitorthe implementation of the Autism Cares Plan (ACP),
a holistic medium-term plan that shall embody the provisions of this Act,  in order
to  respond  to  the  needs  of  PWAs  and  their  families  for  the  guidance  of  the
stakeholders  in  public  and  private  sector.  The  PCMH  shall  likewise  coordinate
the  development  and  implementation  of  necessary  policies  and  programs  to
operationalize the ACP and to ensure the needs of PWAs are served.
SEC.  17. Appropri.afi.on. -The amount necessary to carry out the provisions of
this Act shall  be  included  and  incorporated  in the annual general appropriations
of the DOH.
SEC. 18. Separab/-//-fy C/awse. -lf any provision of this Act is declared invalid or
unconstitutional,  the  provisions  not  affected  thereby  shall  continue to  be  in  full
force and effect.
SEC.19. Repea//'ng C/ause. -All laws, executive orders,  presidential decrees,
presidential  proclamations,  letters  of  instruction,  rules  and  regulations  or  parts
thereof  inconsistent  with  the   provisions  of  this  Act  are   hereby  repealed   or
modified accordingly.
SEC.  20.  Effect/.v/-fy.  -This  Act  shall  take  effect  fifteen  (15)  days  after  its
publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.
Approved,