30/04/2026
๐๐๐๐: Sponsorship Speech of Deputy Floor Leader Atty. Raissa H. Jajurie on the Government of the Day (GOTD)-sponsored bill, the proposed ๐๐๐ ๐ง๐ ๐๐๐ซ๐ญ๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐๐๐๐ฌ ๐ข๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐๐๐, read by MP Atty. Ubaida C. Pacasem during the plenary session today, April 30, 2026. The bill has been referred to the Committee on Women, Youth, Children and Persons with Disabilities (PWDs).
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๐๐ช๐ด๐ฎ๐ช๐ญ๐ญ๐ข๐ฉ๐ช๐ณ๐ข๐ฉ๐ฎ๐ข๐ฏ๐ช๐ณ๐ณ๐ข๐ฉ๐ช๐ฎ. ๐๐ด๐ด๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐ฎ๐ถโ๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐ช๐ฌ๐ถ๐ฎ ๐ธ๐ข๐ณ๐ข๐ฉ๐ฎ๐ข๐ต๐ถ๐ญ๐ญ๐ข๐ฉ๐ช ๐ธ๐ข๐ฃ๐ข๐ณ๐ข๐ฌ๐ข๐ต๐ถ๐ฉ๐ถ.
๐๐ด๐ข๐ฏ๐จ ๐ฑ๐ข๐จ๐ฃ๐ข๐ต๐ช ๐ฏ๐จ ๐ฑ๐ข๐จ๐ฌ๐ข๐ฌ๐ข๐ช๐ด๐ข ๐ข๐ต ๐ฌ๐ข๐ฑ๐ข๐บ๐ข๐ฑ๐ข๐ข๐ฏ ๐ด๐ข ๐ข๐ต๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ญ๐ข๐ฉ๐ข๐ต.
On behalf of Minister Raissa H. Jajurie, the main proponent of this legislative initiative, I rise to read the sponsorship speech on BTA Parliament Bill No. 443 for the Magna Carta of Persons with Disabilities in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.
Mr. Speaker, this Government of the Day bill is filed to cover all persons with disabilities, or PWDs, in the BARMM. It is an exercise of the mandate provided under the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL), which specifically states that one of the powers of the Bangsamoro Government is the development of programs and laws for all areas of vulnerable groups, including PWDs. It is also aligned with the delivery of social justice, which is one of the articulated general principles and policies of the BOL, such that basic necessities and equal opportunities in life are provided for all Filipino citizens in its territorial jurisdiction, especially for the vulnerable sectors.
In this bill, the Bangsamoro reaffirms the universality, indivisibility, interdependence, and interrelatedness of human rights and fundamental freedoms of all persons and recognizes the need for PWDs to be assisted in the full enjoyment thereof without discrimination. And in the section on the Declaration of Policy, the Bangsamoro Government commits to do the following:
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๐ข๐ซ๐ฌ๐ญ, promote, protect, and ensure the full and equal enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms by all persons with disabilities without discrimination of any kind on the basis of disability.
๐๐๐๐จ๐ง๐, promote respect for the inherent dignity, individual autonomy, including the freedom to make one's own choices in independence of PWDs.
๐๐ก๐ข๐ซ๐, recognize and affirm the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and adhere to its principles, including those of non-discrimination, full and effective participation and inclusion in society, respect for difference and acceptance of PWDs as part of the human diversity and humanity, and
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๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ญ๐ก, foster the self-development and self-reliance of PWDs, the development of their skills and potentials, and their seamless integration in society, including maximizing available resources to progressively achieve the full realization of their economic, social, and cultural rights in accordance with international law.
As to the substance of the bill, there is a long enumeration of human rights that shall be promoted, protected, and fulfilled by the Bangsamoro Government, and most of these rights are fundamental to every human being, such as the right to life, liberty, and security of persons.
With disabilities, however, these rights are seen in a new light, as certain adjustments have to be made in order to fulfill them, sometimes requiring reasonable accommodation so that those who have disabilities are able to enjoy them, or ensuring universal design that would allow for everyone, whether with a disability or not, to enjoy the right.
Mr. Speaker, aside from the enumeration of the rights, the bill provides for the specific duties that shall be undertaken by duty-bearers. Measures are expressly stated in the bill so that the enumerated rights are not just rhetoric but can actually be fulfilled, as the bill has listed actionable measures that would make the enjoyment of these rights a reality.
It bears emphasizing that disabilities entail additional care, surgeries, doctor's consultations, medicines, therapy, full-time caregiving, among others, and these needs come with continuing costs; hence, disability support allowance is also provided in the bill. While the existing monthly financial assistance under the MSSDโs Kalinga Para Sa May Kapansanan is limited to indigent PWDs, this bill provides for a graduated implementation of the disability support allowance, with the end goal of progressively covering all PWDs in the Bangsamoro over a span of time.
The bill also sets out the steps for more disability sensitivity, not only among duty-bearers but the public as a whole, in order to work against stigma, verification, discrimination, and abuse.
By making more people aware of the conditions and concerns of PWDs, there should be higher respect for their rights, greater empathy for their clients, and stronger support for measures that promote inclusivity.
A stronger Bangsamoro is one that undertakes all the necessary measures to make sure that everyone, with disabilities or not, gets to enjoy their lives, reaches their optimum potentials, participates meaningfully in the communities, and attains the highest level of well-being possible.
This bill, Mr. Speaker, directs the way to that path, and I ask my colleagues here in the Parliament to support this bill as we have always done, with measures of great and lasting impact para sa Bangsamoro.
๐๐ข๐ฃ๐ช๐ญ๐ญ๐ข๐ฉ๐ช ๐ต๐ข๐ธ๐ง๐ช๐ฒ ๐ธ๐ข๐ญ ๐ฉ๐ช๐ฅ๐ข๐บ๐ข๐ฉ. ๐๐ข๐ด๐ด๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐ฎ๐ถ ๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐ช๐ฌ๐ถ๐ฎ ๐ธ๐ข๐ณ๐ข๐ฉ๐ฎ๐ข๐ต๐ถ๐ญ๐ญ๐ข๐ฉ๐ช ๐ธ๐ข๐ฃ๐ข๐ณ๐ข๐ฌ๐ข๐ต๐ถ๐ฉ๐ถ.
