Sen. Leila M. de Lima's Opening Statement for the Committee Hearing on the Autism Care Act

I would like to thank our good chairperson, Sen. JV Ejercito, for hearing the bills on autism, which includes the Autism Care Act.

Autism is a neurodevelopmental condition that affects about 1 out of every 500 Filipinos. There is currently about 200,000 Filipinos with autism.

With a condition so widespread, there is a critical need to establish a clear government policy and comprehensive program for Filipinos with autism. We can provide the necessary education and support for families dealing with autism.

With the current state of support programs on autism, only families in upper and middle classes can afford proper care and education for persons with autism. Those with autism from the lower income families have to make do with limited special education program from DepEd. As a result, many of these children are misunderstood, misappreciated, or worse, maltreated.

The Autism Care bill is a means to aid our government agencies by mandating continuous accumulation of data on cases of autism around the country in a centralized registry. This bill also creates the Autism Council of the Philippines who will be responsible for creating a roadmap towards a meaningful program to address autism.

Knowing how uncertain life is, any parent would want to make sure that, should anything happen or should the family's circumstances drastically change, children and persons with autism would still have a chance at a safe and happy life. As both a parent and a grandparent to children born with autism, my concern has always been how I could ensure that they will be able to live a secure, happy, fulfilling and productive life in spite of the challenges they were born with. I can only imagine how less fortunate families are managing.

The truth is, families, on their own, cannot ensure these without the help of the state and the community. Without their support, educational, health, livelihood or vocational, and other opportunities available to persons with autism will not become as widely available as they should be. Without the spread of information and understanding about the condition, society would not be able to provide them with the support system necessary to help them become healthy, happy and productive members of the community.

And they could be. Autism refers to a range of conditions characterized, not just by challenges, but also unique strengths and differences. There is Thristan "Tum Tum" Mendoza and his musical abilities. My own Israel, 35 yrs. old, is a painter and artist in his own right. Prof. Temple Grandin is not only an internationally known spokesperson for the autism community, but also one of the world's top scientists and inventors in the field of animal science, famous for her work on humane livestock handling industry.

They are but a few who prove that people with autism could and should have a place in our society - one that would enable them to make positive contributions to its progress.

Autism does not, and should not, be a life sentence that would relegate persons with autism to live in conditions less than they deserve. In the end, their success is also our success, because who knows what ground-breaking insights lie untapped within them.

I hope that this committee hearing, with all the stakeholders now present, can become the first meaningful step towards reaching out to our fellow Filipino families who are dealing with autism.

Maraming salamat po.