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Regional Workshop on the Empowerment of Persons with Intellectual Disabilities and their Families in Asia and the Pacific
11-13 October 2007
Shanghai, China
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Materials : Country Paper :

Philippine Situation

Submitted by Erlinda Uy Koe, Autism Society Philippines

CLASSIFICATION of Persons with Intellectual Disability (PID):

  1. Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
  2. Autism Spectrum Disorder
  3. Downs Syndrome
  4. Mental Retardation (MR)
  5. Learning Disability (LD)

INCIDENCE: No available information; incidence based on international ratio prorated with present Philippine population of 86 million (2006)

Intellectual Disability International Ratio Estimated Incidence
Autism 1:150 573,333
ADHD 4% 3,444,000
Downs Syndrome 1:800 107,500
MR   No data
LD   No data
Total At least 4,124, 833

PHILIPPINE LAWS ON PID

Rep. Act 7277 Magna Carta for Persons with Disabilities
Rep. Act 9442 Amendments to the Magna Carta
Rep. Act 9288 New Born Screening Act
Batas Pambansa 344 Accessibility Laws
Presidential Proclamation 1870 & 361 National Disability Prevention and Rehabilitation Week
Presidential Proclamation 452 National Mental Health Week
(Presidential Proclamation 157 Down Syndrome Consciousness Month
Presidential Proclamation 711 Autism Consciousness Week
Presidential Proclamation 472 ADHD Consciousness Week
Presidential Proclamation 1385 Retarded Children's Week
Presidential Proclamation 240 Decade of Persons with Disabilities (2003-2012)
Executive Order 437 Community-Based Rehabilitation
Executive Order 417 Implementation of the Economic Independence Program for Persons with Disabilities
Executive Order 261 Social Pact for Equalization of Employment Opportunities for PWDs

INITIATIVES FOR THE WELL-BEING OF PID

Organizer/Sponsor Program/Activity
National Institute of Health Implementation of New Born Screening Act
NCWDP (National Council for the Welfare of Disabled Person) Manual on Preventive Pediatrics and Genetic Counseling and Timely Intervention
ASP (Autism Society Philippines) and NORFIL (Norwegian Filipino Foundation) Early Detection and Intervention of Intellectual Disabilities (Community Based Rehabilitation Program
ASP, NORFIL Organizing and Institutional Strengthening
ASP , NORFIL, DSAPI (Downs Syndrome Association of the Phils), ADHD Society of the Phils Early Detection and Intervention of Intellectual Disabilities
ASP, ADHD, DSAPI, NCWDP, NORFIL, PMHA (Phil Mental Health Association) Advocacy and Awareness Programs
ASP, DSPI, Special Olympics Phils Participation in Special Olympics
NCWDP and Council for the Welfare of Children (CWC) Creation of the Sub Committee on Children with Disabilities
Department of Education Special Education Program

PRESENT PROVISIONS OF SPECIAL EDUCATION

Special Education Facilities for SY 2006-2007

  Private Government Total
Special Classes No data 4034 4034
SPED Centers No data 151 151
Regular Schools with SPED Programs 450 1548 1998
Hospital Schools No data 3 3
Residential Schools 13 6 19
Total 463 5742 6205

Center SCHOOL WITH SPED PROGRAM Teacher Classes
Nat'l SPED Public Private
Philippines 147 4 1504 492 4673 4034

For ELEMENTARY, SY 2006-2007

Enrolment Of Children With Intellectual Disability

Types of Disability PUBLIC PRIVATE - Elem PRIVATE - Prep Grand Total
LD 41,670 575 19 42,264
MR 10,585 1,989 40 12,614
AU 5,047 399 5 5,451

Mainstreamed Children with Intellectual Disability

ID LD MR AU Total CID Total Elementary Students
Students 458 222 37 717 13,121,648

ISSUES AND CONCERNS

1. Education

  1. Facilities (school and center) for early intervention
  2. Private schools that offers socialized fees
  3. Public schools with special education programs both elementary and secondary
  4. Center that will provide technical skills
  5. Higher educational institution that will accept persons with developmental disabilities (PWDs)
  6. Scholarships/sponsorship

2. Health

  1. Facilities for early detection and therapy
  2. Public therapy centers or private that offers socialize fee
  3. Medicine subsidy or discounted price
  4. Expensive Therapy services
  5. No comprehensive national health plan for PWD

3. Employment

  1. Limited skills for employment
  2. Very limited employment opportunities
  3. Limited incentives of corporations who employ PWD
  4. No agencies that train PWD for gainful employment

4. Families (Parents and Siblings)

  1. Support mechanism
  2. Continuing education
  3. Livelihood assistance
  4. Tax incentives

5. Professionals (Service Providers)

  1. Lack of professionals (Developmental Pediatricians, Neurologists, Occupational Therapists, Speech Therapists, Special Education Teachers
  2. Migration of professionals abroad
  3. Low pay/salaries of professionals
  4. Concentration of professionals in the capital and major cities

6. Laws

  1. Lack of information on existing laws
  2. Existing laws are not properly implemented
  3. Inadequate monitoring of the implementation of laws

7. Others

  1. Lack of awareness of the general public on intellectual disabilities
  2. No available data/statistics on disabilities
  3. No comprehensive national program on disabilities

Sources of Information

  1. National Council for the Welfare of Disabled Persons (NCWDP)
  2. Department of Education
  3. Autism Society Philippines
  4. ADHD Society of the Philippines
  5. Down Syndrome Association of the Philippines
  6. Philippine Neurologists Association

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