Palawan Representative Franz Alvarez of the National Unity Party (NUP) is pushing a measure that aims to grant Filipino children with special needs a 20% discount on their purchases of basic goods and services, such as food and medicines.

The discount, as stated in Alvarez’s proposal, also covers transportation fees, hotels, restaurants, recreation centers, cinemas, theaters, circuses and carnivals.

Children with special needs are deemed  different  from the average children in mental characteristics, sensory abilities, neuro-muscular or physical characteristics, social attributes, to such an extent that requires the use of modified school practices or special education services to develop them to maximum capability, Alvarez said.

Under his measure, children with special needs are those who are  gifted kids and fast learners,  and those with mental retardation,  intellectual disability, visual impairment, hearing impairment, behavioral problems, orthopedic or physical handicap, special health problems, learning disabilities, speech defects, autism, and multi-handicaps.

Children with special needs would also get free medical and dental services in all government hospitals and clinics subject to guidelines issued by the Department of Health, (DOH), the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) and the Social Security System (SSS) under Alvarez’s House Bill 5158. 

“In other countries, children with special needs get 100% state support. But here, only two percent of the estimated 5.49 million Filipino children with special needs are getting support from the government,” Alvarez noted.

Individuals or non-government institutions establishing homes, residential communities or villages for children with special needs shall enjoy realty tax holidays for the first five years and shall be given priority in the building and or maintenance of provincial or municipal roads leading to the home, residential community or retirement village, the bill likewise states.

The measure also requires the establishment of the Office for Children with Special Needs (OCSN) in every Office of the Mayor headed by a Councilor designated by the Sangguniang Bayan and assisted by the Community Development Officer in coordination with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

The bill also penalizes  violators of the proposed law with a P1,000 fine and imprisonment of not more than one month or both upon the discretion of the court.