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HealthSocial Welfare
BillSBN-171320th Congress

Deaf-blind Awareness Week (3Rd Week of June)

In committee Filed Jan 27, 2026
◷ Where it standsIn Committee
FiledCommittee2nd Reading3rd ReadingBicamEnacted

Filed on January 27, 2026, and referred to the Committee on Health and Demography; it has been pending in committee since then with no recorded action.

Should you care?
Relevance to you
Moderate

The bill seeks to enhance public awareness and support for a specific group of persons with disabilities.

Department of HealthDeaf-blind communityPublic awareness advocates
Timeliness
Timely

The bill addresses the need for greater awareness of deaf-blindness, which is increasingly recognized as a significant issue.

Affects you ifDeaf-blind individualsPersons with disabilitiesAdvocacy organizationsHealth professionals
Impact assessment
AI read — verify with source
Overall impact
2.6/ 10
Long title

Deaf-blind Awareness Week (3Rd Week of June)

Plain-language summary
✦AI Summary

This bill aims to declare the third week of June as Deaf-Blind Awareness Week in the Philippines to promote awareness and support for individuals with deaf-blindness.

What this bill actually requires
RequiresThe Department of Health (DOH) shall urge all citizens to recognize 'Deaf-Blind Awareness Week'.
RequiresThe DOH shall hold programs and activities for the observance of the event.
RequiresThe DOH shall provide assistance to organizations that offer educational, advocacy, and support services to deaf-blind persons.
RequiresThe DOH shall promulgate implementing rules and regulations within fifteen (15) days from the approval of this Act.
DeadlineThe DOH must issue implementing rules and regulations within fifteen (15) days from approval.
DeadlineThe Act takes effect fifteen (15) days after publication.
ⓘ AI-generated — verify with the source.↗ Official Senate PDF
What changes from current law

Compared with current law:

Today

No official recognition of Deaf-Blind Awareness Week.

This bill

The third week of June will be recognized as Deaf-Blind Awareness Week.

ⓘ AI-generated comparison — verify against the bill and the cited law.
Ask this bill

Deaf-Blind Awareness Week is designated as the third week of June to promote awareness and support for individuals who are deaf-blind.

Source · full text
Issue areas
HealthSocial WelfarePublic awarenessDepartment of HealthPersons with disabilitiesDeaf-blind individuals

✦ Dashed tags are AI-suggested nuance; solid tags follow the committee taxonomy.

Legislative history
Jan 27, 2026Senate
Introduced by Senator MARK A. VILLAR;
Feb 2, 2026Senate
Read on First Reading and Referred to the Committee on HEALTH AND DEMOGRAPHY;
✦ AI insight

Stalled: the bill has sat in the committee for several months with no action since its referral on February 2, 2026.

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Floor activity

No floor deliberations yet — this measure has not reached plenary. Its committee-stage actions appear under Legislative history above.

Full text
SBN-1713 — verbatim textAs filed

Senate TWENTIETH CONGRESS OF THE Office of the Recoetary REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES First Regular Session JAN 27 P2:09 SENATE RECEIVED BY 1713 S. No. _ Introduced by Senator MARK A. VILLAR AN ACT PROCLAIMING THE 3RD WEEK OF JUNE AS DEAF-BLIND AWARENESS WEEK EXPLANATORY NOTE Deaf-blindness is a unique disability that incorporates the sensory loss of both sight and hearing. Persons with these disabilities experience extreme isolation and the inability to access services and information which most take for granted. As reported by the National Council on Disability Affairs (NCDA), as of April 2025, there are 2,125,198 total registered persons with disabilities (PWDs). Out of these, 251,302 are visually impaired, while 129,021 are deaf or hard-of-hearing. To encourage deaf-blind individuals to actively engage in public participation, it is necessary to focus attention on these PWDs. Recognizing that greater public awareness of this condition is vital will increase opportunities for those affected and help educate the public that they too can meaningfully contribute to the nation's progress. In this regard, the early passage of this bill is earnestly sought. MARK A. VILLAR RAC

... ' Senate Office of the secretary TWENTIETH CONGRESS OF THE) REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES ) JAN 27 P2:09 First Regular Session SENATE RECEIVED BY S. No. _ Introduced by Senator MARK A. VILLAR AN ACT PROCLAIMING THE 3RD WEEK OF JUNE AS DEAF-BLIND AWARENESS WEEK Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress assembled:

Section. 1. The 3rd week of June shall hereby be known in the Philippines as

2 "Deaf-Blind Awareness Week".

Sec. 2. The Department of Health (DOH) shall urge all citizens to recognize

4 "Deaf-Blind Awareness Week" and shall hold programs and activities for the 5 observance of the event. The DOH shall likewise provide assistance to organizations 6 that offer educational, advocacy, and support services to deaf-blind persons.

Sec. 3. The DOH shall promulgate the appropriate implementing rules and

regulations within fifteen (15) days from the approval of this Act.

Sec. 4. If any provision of this Act is declared unconstitutional, the remainder

thereof not otherwise affected shall remain in full force and effect.

Sec. 5. All laws, executive orders, rules and regulations, or parts thereof,

inconsistent with any provision hereof are hereby repealed or modified accordingly

Sec. 6. This Act shall take effect after fifteen (15) days from its publication in

the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation. Approved,

Reproduced from the Senate document. The official PDF is the authoritative version.