A new bill has been filed in the House of Representatives aimed at establishing a Disability Support Fund to benefit persons with disabilities (PWDs) during the 19th Congress.
The measure, embodied in OFW Party-list Rep. Marissa “Del Mar” Magsino’s House Bill (HB) No.9828, proposes the creation of the Disability Support Fund under the National Council on Disability Affairs (NCDA). This fund would support the Disability Support Allowance Program under the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), providing a disability support allowance of P2,000 per month per eligible beneficiary.
Magsino expressed hope that her colleagues in the House of Representatives will support the measure, stating that the provision of monthly disability support allowance will enable PWDs and their families to access support services and provide them with productive opportunities to become contributing members of society.
The bill covers all PWDs certified under the Disability Assessment and Determination System and is intended to be implemented in gradation. The initial phase will prioritize provision of stipends for children with disabilities, adults with moderate and severe disabilities, and PWDs who are recipients of social protection and economic empowerment programs such as the Pantawid Pamilya Pilipino Program (4Ps) and Social Pension for Indigent Senior Citizens.
Magsino also proposes to establish a Disability Data Management System to enhance the implementation of disability-focused social protection, connected to the Philippine Statistics Authority’s Community-Based Monitoring System (CBMS).
