Children born with disabilities and adults living with severe impairments would be first in line to receive government cash assistance under a Senate proposal that sets aside P2,000 each month for qualified persons with disabilities.
Sen. Bam Aquino introduced the measure through Senate Bill No. 2386, known as the National Disability Support Act, which routes the monthly payment through a dedicated program called the National Disability Support Allowance Program. The stipend would not stay fixed; the bill calls for regular recalibration tied to inflation so that its buying power holds steady over time.
At the heart of the proposal is a rollout divided into stages. Aquino explained that during the initial three years, assistance would go to children with disabilities and adults whose conditions are significant. The following three-year window would extend coverage to individuals with moderate disabilities who personally carry the costs tied to their conditions.
Eligibility would not hinge on how much a beneficiary earns. The senator’s bill mandates a Disability and Needs Assessment System that weighs a person’s functional limitations and the support they require to take part in daily life. He framed the mechanism as a way “to ensure fair and responsive implementation.”
To move the payments efficiently, the legislation also lays out a Disability Management Information System designed to connect with existing government records. Aquino designated the Department of Social Welfare and Development as the lead agency, working alongside the National Council on Disability Affairs.
Aquino tied the measure to broader questions of opportunity, warning that when the routine costs of disability go unmet, “opportunities are limited, poverty is deepened, and exclusion persists.” He described the allowance as a complement to programs already in place, saying it “is designed to complement existing social protection programs and empower persons with disabilities to live more independently, pursue education and employment, and participate more actively in society.”
The Senate version follows an earlier attempt in the House. In December 2025, Quezon City 5th District Rep. Patrick Vargas filed House Bill No. 3770, the Disability Support Allowance for Persons with Disabilities Act, which would grant every person with a disability P2,000 monthly no matter their work situation. Vargas said that measure would likewise be “indexed to inflation to preserve its impact on the standards of living and participation of persons with disabilities.”
