ACT-CIS party-list Rep. Jocelyn Tulfo has pushed for the enactment into law of House Bill 6686, or the proposed CARES Act which aims to raise awareness on Autism Spectrum Disorder or ASD and provide accessible health care programs to more Filipinos with ASD.
Tulfo cited the findings of the Autism Society of the Philippines that 1 out of 100 Filipinos have ASD, translating to more than 1.2 million Filipinos affected by the disorder.
She said the need for protection of the welfare and increasing awareness on ASD became more axiomatic during the COVID-19 pandemic when individuals diagnosed with ASD, especially children, proved to be among the more vulnerable individuals due to their comorbidities.
Emphasizing on the discrimination experienced by persons with disabilities, Tulfo underscored the need for affordable medical services, proper education to all sectors and research on autism to provide adequate support to them and their families.
“Sa panahon ng pandemya, namulat ang ating bansa sa mga kakulangan at pangangailangan ng ating mga kababayang may kapansanan, kasama na rito ang mga apektado ng ASD lalong lalo na ang kabataan,” she said.
The CARES bill seeks to create an Inter-agency Cooperation among the Department of Health, Department of Social Welfare and Development, Department of Education, the Philippine Council for Mental Health, along with other academic institutions, to promote early screening of ASD in children, research on ASD, and continuing education on autism to public service providers such as the police force.
Tulfo also encouraged the government to provide equal employment opportunities to persons with ASD aside from providing them with financial assistance.
“It is high time that the Philippines enact a law, such as the CARES Plan Act of 2022, that would provide not only financial assistance to our Persons with Autism (PWAs), but also allow them to live independently without discrimination, equal employment opportunities, as well as with sufficient and affordable health services through a whole-country approach,” she said.
