Parents of kids with disabilities to get ₱2,000 monthly ‘ayuda’ under House bill

House members are pursuing the immediate approval of a bill that, if enacted, would grant parents of children with disabilities (CWDs) a ₱2,000 monthly subsidy or "ayuda" from the government.

The measure, embodied in House Bill (HB) No.6743, was filed by Davao City 1st district Rep. Paolo Duterte, Benguet lone district Rep. Eric Yap, and ACT-CIS Party-list Reps. Edvic Yap and Jeffrey Soriano.

“This proposed measure seeks to provide the [government] support and assistance needed by children with disabilities through a provision of a monthly subsidy to their parents in order to help alleviate the challenges they continuously face amid the rising costs of living,” the bill’s authors said.

Under HB No.6743, a CWD refers to a person below 21 years old with a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more of an individual’s functions or activities.

It refers to a child with a record of such an impairment or being regarded as having such an impairment, according to the measure.

The bill said their P2,000 monthly aid, which will be released by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), shall automatically cease when the child reaches 21 years of age.

Citing a study by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) done in coordination with DSWD, the bill’s authors said that expenses for raising a CWD is 40 to 80 percent higher than that for other kids without disabilities.

The UNICEF study also found out that poverty rates are 50 percent higher in households with CWDs.

All biological parents and court-appointed guardians of CWD as verified and certified by the DSWD and the National Council on Disability Affairs (NCDA) are covered by the measure.

The issuance of an authentic person with disabilities (PWD) identification card is a prerequisite to qualify as a beneficiary of the subsidy.