Senator Joel Villanueva is pushing for stronger protections and expanded services for persons with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) through key amendments he introduced during plenary deliberations on Senate Bill No. 1822, or the proposed National Autism Care, Support, and Inclusion Act.
Villanueva, who co-authored and co-sponsored the bill, said the amendments seek to ensure that individuals with ASD and their families receive timely diagnosis, adequate healthcare support and long-term interventions that will allow them to fully participate in society.
“We made it a point to ensure that the concerns of persons with ASD and their families were raised during the period of amendments and were properly addressed in the final version of the bill,” Villanueva said in his explanation of his vote supporting the bill.
Among the key changes introduced by the senator were provisions ensuring access to timely diagnosis and evidence-based interventions, guaranteeing an adequate and well-distributed workforce of ASD professionals nationwide, and securing responsive benefit packages from PhilHealth.
The bill passed on third and final reading on Monday with 20 affirmative votes, zero negative votes and zero abstention.
The provision pushed by Villanueva mandates the Department of Health to develop a strategic plan for the development and deployment of ASD professionals and specialists across the country. It also requires coordination among the DOH, the Commission on Higher Education and the Professional Regulation Commission to strengthen education, training, certification, recruitment, and retention programs to address workforce gaps in ASD-related services.
“Kami po mismo ay nakasaksi sa araw-araw na realidad na kinakaharap ng persons with ASD at ng kanilang mga pamilya,” Villanueva said.
He noted that the country continues to face a shortage of trained specialists, including developmental pediatricians, developmental psychologists, child neurologists, speech-language pathologists and occupational therapists who can provide proper diagnosis and intervention.
“Dahil dito, napakaraming pamilya ang napipilitang maghintay nang matagal para lamang makakuha ng diagnosis o magpagamot. Marami rin ang napipilitang gumastos nang higit sa kanilang kakayahan upang matugunan ang mga pangangailangan ng kanilang mga anak,” he said.
Under the bill, PhilHealth will also be required to periodically review its benefit packages to ensure that they remain responsive to ASD-related health, habilitation, rehabilitation and intervention needs, consistent with the goals of the Universal Health Care Act.
Villanueva said his advocacy is deeply personal, noting that he stands in support of the measure not only as a legislator but also as a parent of a child with special needs.
“For all my son’s life, our family, especially my dear wife Gladys, has done our best to make him feel loved and to help him navigate a world shaped by norms and systems that were not always designed with him in mind,” he said.
“Like many parents of the 5.1 million children with special needs identified by EDCOM II, we continue to dream of a future where our child can live with dignity, independence and the opportunity to thrive despite the challenges that come with his condition,” Villanueva said.
Villanueva said the proposed measure could bring meaningful change for individuals with ASD and their families.
“It is precisely because of these hardships that we see the profound and meaningful impact that this measure can bring to individuals with ASD and to the countless families who continue to hope for a more inclusive and compassionate society,” Villanueva said.
