Republic of the Philippines 
House of Representatives 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
House Bill No. _______ 
INTRODUCED BY REP. PM VARGAS 
AN ACT 
CREATING THE NATIONAL COMMISSION ON DISABILITY AFFAIRS, 
DEFINING ITS POWERS, FUNCTIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES AND 
APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
Section II, Article 13 of the Constitution provides that the State shall establish 
a special agency for disabled persons for their rehabilitation, self-development, self-
reliance, and their integration into the mainstream of society. As such, the National 
Council for Disability Affairs was created in 1981 as the government’s lead agency 
tasked to steer the program development for persons with disabilities and the delivery 
of services to the sector. 
With its existing mandate, the Council is focused on the formulation of policies 
and coordination of activities of all agencies, whether private or public, concerning 
issues related to Persons With Disabilities.  
This bill seeks to strengthen the State’s capacity in its role as the primary 
agency responsible for the implementation of policies aimed at fulfilling the rights of 
Persons With Disabilities, by establishing the National Commission for Disability 
Affairs (NCDA) to replace the National Council for Disability Affairs.  
The Commission will be delegated to uphold the rights and welfare of the 
Persons with Disability sector through its larger and stronger capacity to monitor the 
implementation of programs and policies on disability, identify the needs of the 
sector, and recommend policy measures to address such needs.   
In view of the foregoing, approval of this bill is urgently sought. 
 REP. PM VARGAS   
Fifth District, Quezon City 
March 1, 2023
3:59 pm
7383


Republic of the Philippines 
House of Representatives 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
House Bill No. _______ 
INTRODUCED BY REP. PM VARGAS 
AN ACT 
CREATING THE NATIONAL COMMISSION ON DISABILITY AFFAIRS, 
DEFINING ITS POWERS, FUNCTIONS, AND RESPONSIBILITIES AND 
APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES 
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 “National 
Commission on Disability Affairs Act”. 
SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy. – The State guarantees full respect for 
the rights of every human being, regardless of his/her status in life. Likewise, 
the State recognizes that persons with disabilities (PWDs) are entitled to the 
same rights as persons without disabilities. It is also the policy of the State to 
give the highest priority to the enactment of measures that will protect, 
support, and promote the rights of persons with disabilities. 
SECTION 3. Creation of the National Commission on Disability Affairs. 
– There is hereby created the National Commission on Disability Affairs.
hereinafter referred to as the Commission. The Commission shall be
independent, and autonomous and shall have the same status as that of a
national government agency attached to the Office of the President.
SECTION 4. Mandate. – The Commission is the central national government 
agency that attends to the needs of persons with disabilities, providing them 
with the necessary services, supervision, regulation, and guidance in the 
pursuit of their welfare and well-being. Likewise, the Commission is the lead 
policy-making, planning, monitoring, and coordinating body that develops, 
formulates, and implements programs for the prevention of the causes of 
7383


disability and rehabilitation and equalizing of opportunities in the concept of 
a rights-based society for persons with disabilities. 
 
SECTION 5. Powers and Functions. – The Commission shall exercise the 
following powers and functions to carry out its mandate: 
 
a. Ensure that the status, rights, welfare, and interests of persons with 
disabilities are upheld, in accordance with the Constitution; 
 
b. Formulate policies and propose legislations concerning the rights and 
well-being of persons with disabilities, and lead in the implementation 
of programs and services concerning the same; 
 
c. Conduct consultative meetings and symposia with all stakeholders, and 
undertake program evaluation and monitoring to ensure that 
comprehensive, relevant, and timely programs and services are 
adequate domestic laws and international commitments benefitting 
persons with disabilities; 
 
d. Conduct relevant research and studies for policy formulation to 
promote and enhance, at all levels, the rights of persons with 
disabilities; 
 
e. Establish, develop, and maintain a data bank on disability through a 
National Registry of PWDs which shall be obtained through the National 
Registration Program for PWDs, on a provincial, city, and municipal-
wide level, in partnership with concerned government agencies and 
non-governmental  organizations and strengthen referral services to 
ensure availability of data and stakeholders and services to persons 
with disabilities including provision of assistive devices; and accessible 
to persons with disabilities; 
 
f. Identify and address gaps in the implementation and enforcement of 
Establish and maintain linkages and networking with local and 
international organizations, including organizations of and for persons 
with disabilities to generate resources, maximize utilization of existing 
resources and achieve a level of convergence most beneficial to persons 
with disabilities; 
 
g. Assist in the establishment of self-help organizations and the setting up 
of specific projects through the provision of technical and ﬁnancial 
assistance to draw out the active participation of persons with 
disabilities in the social and economic development of the country; 


 
h. Create, organize, restructure, and otherwise manage such ofﬁces of the 
Commission; Provide guidance to Persons with Disability Affairs Offices 
(PDAO) of local government units for the expeditious and effective 
fulﬁllment of its mandate and for specific            thematic             and           
functional matters; implementation of policies; and 
 
Submit annual reports to both Houses of Congress on the processes and 
exercise such powers or perform such other functions as may be delegated or 
assigned by the President. 
 
SECTION 6. The Composition. – The Commission shall be composed of the 
following members: 
 
(a) A Chairperson; 
(b) Seven (7) Commissioners each representing a speciﬁc disability, to wit: 
 
1. Learning and intellectual Disabilities; 
2. Development Disabilities; 
3. Hearing Impairment; 
4. Visual impairment; 
5. Physical and Mobility Impairments; 
6. Emotional/Behavioral Disorders; and 
7. Multi-handicaps. 
 
The seven (7) Commissioners shall be appointed by the President from 
among the list submitted by each disability sector they represent. The 
Chairperson shall also be appointed by the President from at least three (3) 
nominees submitted by all disability sectors. They shall serve for a term of six 
(6) years, without reappointment. The Chairperson shall have the rank and 
privileges of a department undersecretary, and the appointive commissioners 
shall have the rank and privileges of assistant secretaries of a department. 
 
SECTION 7. Duties and Responsibilities of the Chairperson. – The 
Chairperson shall have the following duties and responsibilities: 
 
(a) Direct and supervise the affairs of the Commission in accordance  
with its policies, programs, rules, and regulations; 
 
(b) Provide leadership direction and overall administration and    
management of the Commission; 
 
(c)  Call and preside over the meetings of the Commission; 


(d) Monitor the implementation of policies approved by the                   
Commission; 
 
(e) Sign communications for the Commission and represent the 
Commission, whenever necessary; 
 
(f)  Solicit and accept, on behalf of the Commission, gifts, grants, or  
donations in accordance with government rules, regulations, and 
policies; 
 
(g)  Execute contracts in the pursuit of the Commission's objectives as  
may be authorized by the Commission, in accordance with government 
rules and regulations; and 
 
(h) Organize permanent or ad-hoc committees, consisting of members 
of the Commission or such other experts as are deemed necessary for 
the ﬁll execution of the functions and objectives of the Commission. 
 
SECTION 8. Executive Director. – The Chairperson shall be assisted by the 
Executive Director, who shall be appointed by the President upon the 
recommendation of the Chairperson. The Executive Director shall serve for a 
term of six (6) years, without reappointment, and shall have the rank and 
privileges of an assistant secretary of a department. He/she shall be 
responsible for managing the day-to-day affairs, activities and operations of 
the Commission, in accordance with the policies, standards, rules and 
regulations adopted and promulgated by the Commission. Likewise, the 
Executive Director shall have the following duties and responsibilities: 
 
(a) Advise 
and 
assist 
the 
Chairperson 
in 
the 
formulation 
and 
implementation of the objectives, policies. plans and programs of the 
Commission; 
 
(b) Implement policies, plans and programs approved by the Commission; 
 
(c) Exercise direct supervision, control, and disciplinary authority over all 
the organizational units placed under his/her jurisdiction. pursuant to 
existing civil service rules; 
 
(d) Prepare and submit to the Commission the annual report of operations 
of the Commission and such other reports as may be required by the 
Commission; and 
 
(e) Perform such other functions as may be provided by the Commission 


En Banc. 
 
SECTION 9. Deputy Executive Directors. – The Executive Director shall 
have three (3) deputies: a Deputy Executive Director for Finance and 
Administration, a Deputy Executive Director for Policy and Programs, and a 
Deputy Executive Director for information and Research. The Deputy 
Executive Directors shall be appointed by the President upon the 
recommendation of the Chairperson; Provided, that at least one (1) Deputy 
Executive Director shall be a career ofﬁcer. 
 
SECTION 10. Qualifications. – No person shall be appointed Chairperson, 
Executive Director, or Deputy Executive Director of the Commission unless 
he or she is a citizen and resident of the Philippines, of good moral character, 
of known probity, of proven integrity, and with at least seven (7) years of 
understanding, expertise, competence and experience in delivering services to 
persons with disabilities. 
 
SECTION 11. Divisions. – To achieve the mandates stated above, the 
Commission shall have the following Divisions: 
 
(a) Finance and Administrative Division - This Division shall be responsible 
for providing efﬁcient and effective services relating to personnel, 
information, records, supplies, equipment, collection, disbursement, 
security and other matters. 
 
(b) Policy Formulation and Research Division - The Policy Formulation and 
Research Division shall be responsible for the formulation of policy 
recommendations based on surveys, researches and studies relating to 
disability-related issues and concerns. In line with this, the Division 
shall undertake a continuing research, study and statistics updating 
on persons with disabilities issues, with the purposes of recommending 
reliable policy reforms, development programs, administrative and 
legislative measures that will address the economic, social and cultural 
rights of persons with disabilities and further enhance their quality of 
life. This Division shall be the repository of all processed data 
concerning disability topics and shall maintain a National Registry for 
PWDs. 
 
(c) Program and Project Division - The Programs and Project Division shall 
plan, conduct and evaluate national programs on the prevention of the 
causes 
of 
disabilities 
and 
rehabilitation 
and 
equalization 
of 
opportunities. 
 


The Division shall provide technical assistance through trainings and 
other related activities concerning disability. It shall likewise develop strategic 
framework, guidelines and standards on program/project development, 
management, monitoring and evaluation. 
 
The Division may create sectoral and industry Task Forces, technical 
working groups, advisory bodies or committees for the furtherance of its 
objectives. Additional private sector representatives, such as from the 
academe, civil society organizations, federation of private industries directly 
involved in persons with disabilities as well as representatives from LGUs 
and government-owned and controlled corporations (GOCCs) may be 
appointed 
by 
these 
working 
groups. 
Government 
disability 
affairs 
professionals may also be tapped to partake in the work of the Commission. 
id) Public information Division — The Public Information Division shall 
develop and maintain a public information system, and such facilities that 
would educate and orient the public regarding the Commission's policies and 
advocacies. It shall advocate, communicate and disseminate national and 
regional plans, policies, thrusts, and priorities of the Commission. This 
Division shall coordinate closely with the Policy Formulation and Research 
Division in maintaining a National Registry of PWDs. 
 
SECTION 12. Establishment of Regional Offices. – There shall be Regional 
Ofﬁces for the NCDA. Each Regional Ofﬁce shall be headed by a Regional 
Manager who shall supervise the ofﬁcial activities of all provinces, cities, and 
municipalities under the jurisdiction of the concerned Regional Ofﬁce. He/she 
shall be the primary coordinating and overseeing authority over the Persons 
with Disability Affairs Ofﬁce (PDAO) duly established by local government 
units 
(LGUs). 
 
A Regional Ofﬁce for PWDs shall have, within its administrative region, 
the following functions: 
 
(a) Implement laws, rules and regulations, policies, plans, programs and 
projects of the Commission; 
 
(b) Increase the efﬁciency, effectiveness, and synchronicity of the Commission 
through coordination with local government units; 
 
(c) Coordinate with the LGUs and ensure that each has its established PDAO 
or has designated Focal Persons for the fourth (4th), ﬁfth (5th), and sixth (6th) 
class municipalities; and 
 


(d) Perform such other functions as may be assigned by the Commission. 
 
SECTION 13. Advisory Council. – There shall be an Advisory Council which 
shall be composed of the Chairperson of the Commission, as Chairperson; the 
Secretaries of the Department of Health (DOH); the Department of   Social 
Welfare and Development (DSWD); the Department of Education (DepEd); the 
Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE); the Department of 
Transportation (DOTr); the Department of Public Works and Highways 
(DPWH); the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG); the 
Chairperson of the Commission on Higher Education [CHED); the Director 
General of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority 
(TESDA); and the Chairpersons of the Senate Committee on Social 
justice, Welfare, and Rural Development and the House of Representatives 
Committee on Social Services. The Secretaries mentioned are authorized to 
designate an Undersecretary to represent them. 
 
The Council shall meet once every three (3) months, or as often as may 
be necessary, upon the call of its Chairperson. it shall advise and be consulted 
by the Commission on important matters relating to the Commission's 
mandate. The Council may form task forces that shall convene between the 
meetings of the Council. The Commission shall provide the technical support 
required by the Council to function according to this Act. 
 
SECTION 14. Annual Report – The Commission shall prepare an annual 
report on the findings of its monitoring activities with regard to the state of 
the country’s compliance with its international obligations concerning 
persons with disabilities. The report shall include, but not be limited, to the 
following: 
 
(a) Identiﬁcation of causes that result in the increase or decrease in the 
number of PWDs; 
 
(b) Assessment of the legal mechanisms of existing institutions in providing 
adequate protection and services for PWDs; 
 
(c) Recommendations for legal, legislative, and institutional reforms for greater 
promotion and protection of the rights of PWDs; 
 
(d) Statistics and data indicating the total number of PWDs in the country as 
culled from the National Registry for PWDs, in coordination with other 
government agencies. 
 
SECTION 15. Disability Support Fund. – A Disability Support Fund shall 


be established under this Act. it shall make funds available for individuals 
with disabilities to access rehabilitation and disability support services, and 
to support disability-related activities at the local community through 
programs and projects of the local government units and civil society 
organizations. 
 
The fund shall be sourced from the operations of the Philippine Charity 
Sweepstakes Ofﬁce (PCSO), Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation 
(PAGCOR), one (1) percent from the collections arising from the Sin Tax and 
amusement taxes collected by other national and local government agencies. 
and contributions from the private sector. 
 
SECTION 16. Transitory Provisions. – The National Council on Disability 
Affairs (NCDA) is deemed abolished upon the creation of the Commission. All 
the powers, functions, assets, liabilities, capital, accounts, contracts, 
equipment, and facilities of the NCDA which are owned by the government, 
shall be transferred to the Commission.  
 
All regular or permanent employees of the NCDA shall be absorbed or 
transferred to the Commission: Provided, that they possess the necessary 
qualiﬁcations, and shall not suffer any loss of seniority or rank or decrease in 
salaries and emoluments. 
 
Employees separated from the service as a result of the abolition of the 
NCDA under the provisions of this Act shall, within three (3) months from 
their separation from service, receive a separation pay in accordance with 
existing laws, rules, and regulations. In addition, those who are qualiﬁed to 
retire shall be allowed to retire and be entitled to all benefits provided under 
existing retirement laws. The funds of the Commission may be used for this 
purpose. 
 
Employees separated and/or retired from the NCDA shall not be eligible 
for reappointment to or employment in the Commission, whether permanent, 
temporary, casual, or contractual status within a period of three (3) years 
after separation or retirement. The Chairperson shall recommend to the 
Commission a work program that shall include the organizational plan and 
structure, staff pattern and compensation plan, budget, and programs. 
projects and activities of the Commission within ninety (90) days from the 
approval of this Act. Said work program shall be implemented by the 
Chairperson within thirty (30) days after its approval by the Commission. 
 
SECTION 17. Appropriations. – The funds needed to initially implement this 
Act shall be included in the current ﬁscal year's appropriation of the National 


Council on Disability Affairs. Thereafter, the amount needed for the operation 
and maintenance of the Commission shall be included in the General 
Appropriations Act. 
 
SECTION 18. Implementing Rules and Regulation. – Within sixty [60) days 
from the approval of this Act, the Commission and other relevant government 
agencies, shall promulgate the necessary rules and regulations for the 
effective implementation of this Act. 
 
SECTION 19. Separability Clause. – Should any provision herein be 
declared unconstitutional, the same shall not affect the validity of the other 
provisions of this Act. 
 
SECTION 20. Repealing Clause. – All laws, decrees, orders, rules, and 
regulations, or other issuances or parts inconsistent with the provisions of 
this Act are hereby repealed or modified accordingly. 
 
SECTION 21. Effectivity. – This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after 
its publication in the Ofﬁcial Gazette or in any two (2) newspapers of general 
circulation in the Philippines. 
 
Approved,