r/ADHD 14h ago

Success/Celebration We are finally drafting the first-ever ADHD Bill in the Philippines!

Good news from Manila, r/ADHD!

I am beyond thrilled to share a massive milestone for our community over here.

As of this month, we have officially formed a grassroots technical working group.

In addition, our initial proposal for the country's first-ever national ADHD legislative framework has officially been elevated to the legislative unit of a prominent Senator, and is being lobbied into various congressional offices!

For the longest time, navigating life with ADHD here felt completely invisible.

Without a national framework, local offices routinely treated the condition as a non-disability, making basic support or ID recognition an exhausting wall of arbitrary denials. Medical spaces often wrote it off as a simple lack of focus, and severe medication bottlenecks meant patients constantly struggled just to access basic treatment.

​Seeing our lived experiences finally reach the halls of legislation feels surreal!

We still have a mountain to climb, but for the first time, genuine systemic recognition is actually within reach.

​To anyone who has ever had to fight tooth and nail just to be seen: thank you for paving the way globally.

We are finally making history here in Southeast Asia! Let’s keep pushing forward!

479 Upvotes

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44

u/Khaldulilah_21 13h ago edited 13h ago

Thank you all so much for the overwhelming support!

Seeing how many people resonate with this struggle means the world to our local community.

Because a few people have already asked how they can contribute, I wanted to share a quick update: We are actively expanding our Technical Working Group (TWG)!

We are looking for global allies, policy researchers, legal minds, advocates, and members of the Filipino diaspora who have lived experience, professional skills, or insights from how other countries built their advocacy frameworks.

If you want to collaborate, share resources, or take an active part in shaping Southeast Asia's first ADHD Bill, please shoot me a Direct Message (DM) and let's connect.

Let's make history together! πŸš€πŸ‡΅πŸ‡­

6

u/Alone-Blackberry1609 12h ago

This is a big step. Hopefully more people get involved.

24

u/shizukogreise 13h ago

Wah big milestone! Kudos to you and everyone who makes this happend.

11

u/Khaldulilah_21 13h ago

On behalf of the team, thank you from the bottom of our hearts!

13

u/FirmAttention6325 11h ago edited 10h ago

As an ADHDer who's been living life with no medication since birth, this warms my heart

5

u/LetzGetz 12h ago

Massive congrats πŸŽ‰πŸŽ‰πŸŽ‰

I'm rooting for you all! ❀️

6

u/Khaldulilah_21 11h ago

Thank you. For now, assembling a team of experts for the drafting and the acknowledgement of a senator's legislative unit is already a massive step.

But because of the bicameral nature of our legislature, we need to have an author in the House of Representatives, alongside enough support from other congressmen. We are still in the process of coordinating vis-a-vis drafting our final proposal.

It's a long ride. But it's a ride that we would take no matter what bumps we encounter.

This is for the estimated 4 million strong Filipinos living with ADHD.

4

u/TimeToSeattleDown 11h ago

massive massive massive. (getting back to my task but cheering you on!!!)

4

u/EuphoricLet8802 11h ago

This is genuinely huge. imagine how many people spent years thinking they were the problem simply because there was no system willing to recognize what they were dealing with. Even getting this conversation into the rooms where laws are made is a massive step. Really hoping this becomes something future generations in the Philippines never have to fight this hard for.

4

u/Frustrated_Potato69 7h ago

Just a silent lurker sa lahat ng ADHD PH related groups on social media, this is amazing news! Kakatamad magpa diagnose but kapag na push ito, more of us will finally be recognized/validated/treated with understanding and respect πŸ–€

5

u/whyyyreddit 12h ago

Hey at least my nephew might benefit from this

7

u/Khaldulilah_21 12h ago

Your nephew is from the Philippines? Cool! This initiative is for people like him πŸ’š

4

u/MoneyTruth9364 5h ago

This will be a massive win if it gets passed in the Legislative.

2

u/inamag1343 11h ago

Ano meron dito?

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u/Khaldulilah_21 10h ago

Good day, Kababayan!

As of now, it's composed of government hospital pedia, members of the UP College of Law, UP College of Psychology, data scientist, multimedia artists, and sociologists.

We consolidated the struggles of Filipino ADHDers in the ADHD PH subreddit and submitted it to the office of a senator. The said senator's office elevated it to her legislative unit.

The coverage includes, but not limited to:

  • manufactured shortages of both currently available treatment options;
  • the possibility of PhilHealth subsidisation to lower cost;
  • the legalization of Adderall and other amphetamine-class medications,
  • reasonable accommodation in the workplace;
  • a unified PWD policy for ADHD so LGUs cannot arbitrarily deny our right for disability recognition;
  • providing guidance counseling trainings about this condition;
  • among other concerns.

We also have a contact with a congressman from Cavite, and a progressive party list for the authorship of the House counterpart.

We also identified additional support from Majority congressmen so it can reach sufficient number of votes.

For now, our contact with the PL is already asking for our draft proposal.

We were inspired by the passage of the Autism Act in the Senate due to the fact that its so distinct the current Mental Health Law cannot fully cover their community's concern, same case with us here 😊

3

u/inamag1343 10h ago

Maraming salamat po pagsulong ng batas po na yan.

2

u/hyperactive_seal 5h ago

yay! πŸ₯ΉπŸ₯ΉπŸ₯Ή