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FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC) 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
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Jlj[. -4 p 
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First Regular Session 
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Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The Constitution, Article XV, Section 3, paragraph 2 provides that the State shall defend: 
"The right of children to assistance, including proper care and nutrition, 
and special protection from all forms of neglect, abuse, cruelty, exploitation and 
other conditions prejudicial to their development." 
Good vision is essential for proper physical development and educational progress in 
growing children. Many serious ocular conditions are treatable if iclentified in the preschool and 
early school-aged years. Early detection of ocular conditions provides the best opportunity for 
effective, inexpensive treatment and can have far-reaching implications for vision. 
Various identification methods, whether vision screening or comprehensive eye exanis 
required by law. will identify children needing services. A child identified through vision 
screening should receive a comprehensive eye exam followed by subsequent treatment as 
nccdcd. A child identified through a comprehensive eye cxani should receive subsequent 
treatment as needed. All children identified as needing services should have access to subsequent 
treatment as needed. 
This bill seeks to establish a grant program to providc vision care to children.' 
' This bill was originally filed in the Thirteenth Congress, Third Regular Session. 


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FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC) 
First Regular Session 
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OF THE PHILIPPINES 
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JJl_ -4 P 4 .. ’ 
Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
AN ACT 
TO ESTBLISH A GRANT PROGRAM TO PROVIDE VISION CARE TO CHILDREN 
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 “Vision Care for Kids Act of 
2007”’. 
SECTION 2. Definition of Term. - The following terms as used in this Act shall be 
defined as follows: 
(1) “Comprehensive Eye Examination” includes an assessment of a patient’s history, 
general medical observation, external and ophthalmoscopic examination, visual acuity, ocular 
alignment and motility, refraction, and as appropriate, binocular vision or gross visual fields, 
performed by an optometrist or an ophthalmologist; 
(2) “LGU” refers to a local government unit, which maybe a province, city or 
municipality, 
(3) “Secretary” refers to the Secretary of Health. 
SECTION 3. Grcmf reguiding vision care for children. - 
(a) In General -- ‘The Secretary, may award grants to LGUs on the basis of an established 
review process for the purpose of complementing existing governnlent efforts for: 
(1) providing comprehensive eye examinations by a licensed optometyist or 
ophthalmologist for children who have been previously identified through a vision 
screening or eye examination by a licensed health care provider or vision screener as 
needing such services, with priority given to children who arc under 9 yeas old; 
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(2) providing treatment or services, subsequent to the examinations described in 
paragraph (l), necessary to correct vision problems; and 
(3) developing and disseminating, to parents, teachers, and health care 
practitioners, educational materials on recognizing signs of visual impaiimcnt in children. 
(b) Criteria and Coordination - The Secretary, in consultation with appropriate 
professional and consumer organizations including individuals with knowledge of age 
appropriate vision services, shall develop criteria governing the operation of the grant program 
under subsection (a), and for the collection of data related to vision assessment and the utilization 
of follow up services. 
(c) Application- To be eligible to receive a grant under subsection (a), an 1,GU shall 
submit to the Secretary an application in such form, made in such manner, and containing such 
information as the Sccrctary may require, including the following: 
(1) information on existing Federal, Federal-State, or State-funded children vision 
program; 
(2) a plan for the use of grant funds, including how funds will be used to 
complemcnt existing State cfforts (including possible partnerships with non-profit 
entities); 
(3) a plan to determine if a grant eligible child has been identified as provided for 
in Section 3(a); and 
(4) a description of how funds will be used to provide items or services only as a 
secondary payer to any local government compensation program, under an insurance 
policy, or under any govcrnmcnt hedth benefits program; or by any entity that provides 
health services on a prepaid basis. 
(d) Evaluations- To bc eligible to receive a grant under subsection (a), an 1,GU shall 
agree that, not later than one (1) year after the date on which amounts under the grant are first 
received by it, and annually thereafter while receiving amounts under the grant, the I,GU will 
subinit to the Secretary an evaluation of the operations and activities carried out under the grant, 
including-- 
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(I) an assessment of the utilization of vision services and the status of children 
receiving thcsc senriccs as a result of the activities carried out under the grant; 
(2) the collection, analysis, and reporting of children’s vision data according to 
guidelines prcscribed by the Sccrctary; and 
(3) such other information as tlie Secretary may require. 
(e) Limitations in Expenditure of Grant - A grant may be made under subsection (a) only 
if the LGIJ involved agrees that it will not expend more than 20 percent (20%) of the amount 
received under the grant to carry out the purpose described in paragraph (3) of such subsection. 
SECTION 4. Appropriations. - Such sums as may be necessary for the initial 
implementation of this Act shall be taken from the current appropriations of the Department of 
Health (DOH). Thereafter, the fund necessary to carry out the provisions of this Act shall be 
included in the annual General Appropriations Act. 
SECTION 5. Separability Clause. - If any provision of this Act is held invalid or 
unconstitutional, the remainder of the Act or the provision not otherwise affected shall remain 
valid and subsisting. 
SECTION 6. Repealing Clause. - Any law, presidential decree or issuance, executive 
order, letter of instruction, administrative rule or regulation contrary to or inconsistent with the 
provisions of this Act is hereby repealed, modified or amended accordingly. 
SECTION 7. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
Approved, 
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