City passes ordinance on early intervention for ASD, neurodevelopmental disorders

By Joseph Bernard A. Marzan

The Iloilo City Sangguniang Panlungsod unanimously passed an ordinance on Wednesday, Dec. 3, establishing an early identification and intervention program for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and other neurodevelopmental disorders.

Authored by Councilor Mandrie Malabor, the ordinance provides services for children under 18 whose parents or guardians reside in Iloilo City. These services will be delivered through barangay health centers, public daycare centers, and public schools, in coordination with private stakeholders, hospitals, and educational institutions.

Key provisions include developmental surveillance services offered by barangay health and child development centers, along with referral pathways to specialized professionals and institutions.

Intervention services will be administered by the City Health Office (CHO), in coordination with the City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO), government hospitals, therapy centers, and schools.

The ordinance mandates an annual citywide information drive to raise awareness of the importance of early identification and intervention for neurodevelopmental disorders.

It also requires training and capacity-building programs for health and child development workers, teachers, and barangay officials to recognize early signs of autism and related conditions, and to refer children for screening.

Counseling and support services will be made available to parents of children with suspected or diagnosed ASD and other neurodevelopmental disorders.

A database system will be created to track screening results, interventions, and outcomes, in compliance with Republic Act 10173, or the Data Privacy Act of 2012.

The ordinance directs the city government to allocate funds to hire licensed professionals, including developmental pediatricians, psychologists, psychometricians, occupational therapists, speech pathologists, and other allied health professionals.

During the ordinance’s second reading, Malabor clarified that these professionals will be employed through the CHO.

The CHO will serve as the lead implementing agency, coordinating with the CSWDO and the Department of Education–Schools Division Office (DepEd-SDO) of Iloilo City.

The CHO will also manage the program’s budget through a dedicated line item in its annual appropriation for autism early identification and intervention services.

Additional funding may be sourced from the Special Education Fund, private donations, international partnerships, corporate social responsibility programs, nongovernmental organizations, and national government grants.

The City Inter-Agency Committee on Autism and Other Neurodevelopmental Disorders Support (CIACANDS) will oversee implementation. The committee will be chaired by the mayor, with the CHO chief as vice chair and the CSWDO head as a member.

Other CIACANDS members include the DepEd-SDO superintendent for Iloilo City, the Sangguniang Panlungsod committee chairs on Health, Social Services, and Education, and representatives from the Persons with Disabilities Affairs Office, Autism Society of the Philippines–Iloilo, SPED Integrated School for Exceptional Children, and the RISEAble SPED and Early Intervention Center.

The committee is tasked with monitoring and evaluating the program through a biennial review.

Evaluation metrics will include early diagnosis rates, access to services, and long-term outcomes for children.

Findings and recommendations from the review will be submitted to the Sangguniang Panlungsod for potential policy updates.