Quezon City 5th District Rep. Patrick Michael Vargas / PHOTO FROM HIS OFFICE
A Quezon City lawmaker is pushing for stronger state support for persons with disabilities (PWDs) through a proposed ₱2,000 monthly allowance for all PWDs, regardless of employment or income status.
Quezon City 5th District Rep. Patrick Michael Vargas renewed his call on Friday for the passage of House Bill No. 3770, or the proposed Disability Support Allowance for Persons with Disabilities Act, in line with the International Day of People with Disability.
The measure seeks to create a Disability Support Allowance Program that grants a universal ₱2,000 monthly aid indexed to inflation “to preserve its impact on the standards of living and participation of persons with disabilities.”
“Hindi pantay ang lipunan, lalo na para sa mga persons with disability. Kaya tungkulin nating isa-isahin at ayusin ang mga bagay na naglalagay sa kanila sa dehado,” Vargas said, stressing the persistent socioeconomic barriers faced by PWDs.
Under the bill, the Department of Social Welfare and Development will implement the program, with policy development to be coordinated with the National Council on Disability Affairs, Department of the Interior and Local Government, Department of Health, the Philippine Statistics Authority, local governments, and PWD organizations.
All PWD ID holders will be eligible for the monthly allowance, including those employed or already receiving other government benefits such as the 4Ps or senior citizens’ social pension.
To support implementation, the bill mandates the creation of a disability data management system that will identify PWD populations to be prioritized in a phased rollout:
• Phase 1: Within three years, cover all PWDs aged 17 and below
• Phase 2: Within the next three years, expand coverage to PWDs aged 18 to 59
• Phase 3: Cover the remaining PWD population
Vargas said the allowance aims to reduce inequality and ensure that PWDs can “participate fully and live with dignity,” calling on Congress to advance the bill.
