Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
Second Regular Session

House Bill No. 8157

Introduced by Representative Camille A. Villar

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Merriam-Webster define ‘special needs” as “various difficulties (such as a
physical, emotional, behavioral, or learning disability or impairment) that causes
an individual to require additional or specialized services or accommodations
(such as in education or recreation).”

In the Philippines, consider the following!:

PhilHealth estimates that one out of seven or around 5.1 million
Filipino children are living with disabilities. Yet there is little
information on the prevalence of disabilities among Filipino children.

that children with disabilities continue to experience barriers to access
basic social services. This is compounded by poverty, lack of data,
weak governance and discriminatory attitudes related to disability in
general.

Children with disabilities are less likely to attend school, access
medical services, or have their voices heard in society. Their
disabilities also place them at a higher risk of physical abuse and
discrimination, and often exclude them from receiving proper
nutrition or humanitarian assistance in emergencies.

Through this legislation, a framework is being envisioned and that society
must adapt its structures and mechanisms to ensure children irrespective of age,
gender and disability must enjoy the human rights that are inherent in their human

+ Data culled from Philippine Policy Report No.6, Children with Disabilities: Finding the Way to an Inclusive Service
Framework Wily 2018. study funded by the Australian Fmhascy in Manila UNICFF RSWO and the Nevelanment


dignity. Disability cannot be considered in isolation, having special needs should
not be a badge for discrimination.

In the country, a pioneering effort worthy of emulation is the recent passage
of an ordinance by the City Council of Davao City on the establishment of a center
dedicated to kids with special needs. Accordingly, the center will rise in Davao
City in 2021 and has been named Davao City Special Needs Intervention Center for
Children will be offering early intervention and transition programs, as well as allied
medical services including occupational therapy, physical therapy, and speech
therapy to children ages 0 to 6 years old. The same center also addresses “concerns
and skills deficit brought about by intellectual disability, global development
dclay, autism spectrum disorder, communication disordcr, attention deficit disorder
or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, specific learning disorders, motor
disorders, visual and hearing impairment, other neurodevelopmental disorders and
related behavioral, sensory, and cognitive dclays.””

The proposed legislation aims to put in place a comprehensive and
coordinated health policy on children with special needs that would provide the
directions and interventions that must be undertaken by and among concerned
agencies in an effective and timely manner. We must be receptive to and supportive
of children with special needs.

Wn
CAMILLE A. VILLAR


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Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
Second Regular Session

8157

Introduced by Representative Camille Villar

AN ACT
PROVIDING FOR A COMPREHENSIVE ACCESSIBLE AND
AFFORDABLE EARLY DETECTION AND TIMELY INTERVENTION
SERVICES 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 Mental Illness Act.”

Section 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 the people
at affordable cost.

Section 3. Definition of Terms. The following terms shall mean:

a. Special Needs shall mean a variety of conditions, difficulties and
impairments including but not limited to chronic and terminal illnesses,
physical impairments, and 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 special needs child may have a life-threatening condition or they may
have severe learning disabilities.

b. Intervention shall mean educational methods and positive behavioral
support strategies designed to improve the condition of a child suffering
from mental disorder.

Section 4. The Department of Education (DepEd) and the Department of
Health (DOH) shall undertake to develop a program providing for comprehensive
accessible and affordable early detection and timely intervention services for


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children with special needs. The objectives of this program includes but not limited
to the following:

a. To increase awareness, reduce barriers to screening and diagnosis, promote
evidence-based interventions for children with special needs or other
developmental disabilities.

b. To build a qualified and adequately trained workforce prepared to provide
special needs services for children and their families.

c. To conduct a comprehensive, multi-faceted public awareness campaign 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.

d. To create a quality-driven children's special needs system with shared
accountability among agencies and programs that conducts ongoing needs
assessments, uses outcome indicators and benchmarks to measure progress,
and implements quality data tracking and reporting system.

Section 5. All local government units shall endeavor to establish special
needs center offering early intervention and transition programs and shall provide
programs and services that will prepare special needs children on activities in
mainstream society.

Section 6. The DepEd and DOH in coordination with the Department of
Interior and Local Government and in consultation with relevant private sector
practitioners and representatives of the academic community shall promulgate the
necessary rules and regulations to carry out the provisions of this Act.

Section 7. Separability Clause. — If any provision or part hereof is held
invalid or unconstitutional, the remainder of the law or the provision not otherwise
affected shall remain valid and subsisting.

Section 7. Repealing Clause. — Any law, presidential decree or issuance,
executive order, letter of instruction, administrative order, rule or regulation contrary
to, or inconsistent with the provisions of this Act is hereby repealed, modified or
amended accordingly.

Section 8. Effectivity Clause. — This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days
after its complete publication in at least two (2) national newspapers of general
circulation, whichever comes earlier.

Approved,