Residents of the Elsie Gatches Village engage in physical activities at the Center. Elsie Gatches Village is managed by the DSWD for children with disabilities, including children with autism.
Residents of the Elsie Gaches Village engage in physical activities at the Center. Elsie Gaches Village is managed by the DSWD for children with disabilities, including children with autism.

In celebration of the World Autism Awareness Day (WAAD) today, April 2, Social Welfare and Development Secretary Corazon Juliano-Soliman exhorts the public to support the event by attending the “Light It Up Blue” ceremony at SM Mall of Asia, Pasay City at 5:30 pm.  Secretary Soliman will lead the activity together with some 200 participants from government agencies, non-government organizations, and civil society groups.

With the theme, “Make the Rights of Persons with Autism Real,” the Light It Up Blue campaign is a unique global initiative to help raise awareness and shine a bright light on autism as a growing public health crisis in support of WAAD.  Iconic landmarks around the globe will simultaneously light up in bright blue on April 2.

Prior to the lighting ceremony, participants will attend a lecture forum entitled, “Understanding Autism and Its Medical Aspect” at the 2nd floor of Southwing Pavilion of SM MOA (near Music Hall), to be followed by opening of art and photo exhibit.

Secretary Soliman emphasized that there is really a need to take measures to raise awareness on autism throughout the society and to encourage early diagnosis and intervention. “To date, the DSWD, in collaboration with the Autism Hearts Philippines, Inc., has enhanced its case management system for children with autism in two centers – the Elsie Gaches Villages in the National Capital Region (NCR) and Amor Village in Region III,” Secretary Soliman said.

Likewise, the Department of Health (DOH) has organized a multi-agency technical working group for the conduct of a prevalence study on autism which can be the basis for a national strategy to address autism spectrum disorder (ASD). ###