Beyond Paper Rights: An Update on Our Senate Push for ADHD Reform

To everyone following our campaign for systemic ADHD policy reform: I have some incredible news to share. I just got word that one Senator has actively taken notice of our position paper, and a second Senator’s office has formally acknowledged receipt of our proposal.

Honestly, I am overjoyed. Knowing that our policy proposal actually crossed the desks of two Senators—and was likely read by one—is a massive win. A huge debt of gratitude goes to a highly esteemed friend on the inside who helped nudge those doors open.

Where Do We Hope This Goes?

I don’t know how far this momentum will carry us, but I’m holding out hope that it leads to a formal Senate committee hearing. I would love to see our lawmakers call on developmental pediatricians, adult psychiatrists, clinical psychologists, patient advocates, and agency heads to shed real light on the actual state of neurodivergent diagnosis, care, and support in the Philippines. Ultimately, the goal is to see those discussions produce a comprehensive bill that turns into law.

But even just landing on a Senator’s desk is more than I originally dared to hope for. When I started this writing campaign, part of my goal was simply to practice what I’ve been preaching for years: **write directly to your legislators and government agencies about the changes you want to see, instead of just ranting online.**

Don’t get me wrong—making noise on social media definitely has its place, and public outcry has certainly prodded officials into action before. But sending an official, formal proposal changes the dynamic completely. It puts your ideas on the public record. Regardless of whether an office responds immediately or stays quiet, creating an official paper trail gives citizens real leverage to hold lawmakers accountable. It’s a habit citizens in older democracies have exercised for generations, and it’s a civic muscle we need to keep building here at home.

Why This Fight Is Personal

When I was born back in 1971, ADHD had only just begun to be formally categorized in modern psychiatry. Over the decades since, diagnostic tools and evidence-based treatments have made massive, life-changing strides in first-world countries.

Here in the Philippines, we’ve seen some progress—primarily when attentive educators spot early signs in school and gently prompt parents to seek evaluation. But that still represents a tiny, privileged fraction of the population. Over 90% of neurodivergent Filipinos remain stranded due to prohibitive assessment costs and a severe shortage of specialists.

I hope with all my heart that diagnostic pathways and quality care become vastly more accessible, so that kids today won’t have to go through what I had to endure as a child and as an adult.

Growing up believing you are simply “weird,” lazy, or burdened with a permanent character flaw—when in reality, your brain simply processes dopamine and executive control differently—does real damage. For decades, you end up developing heavy coping mechanisms just to mask and survive.

Discovering so late in life that I have ADHD was an immense relief. But alongside that relief came a wave of quiet regret—a feeling of *”what if?”* What if I had known decades earlier and received proper support?

I’ve long made peace with that regret, but once in a while, the thought still drifts back. I wonder how much better I might have done academically, or whether I could have built a more stable, linear career path. Back in high school, right around the time executive dysfunction and symptoms were becoming most troublesome, I remembered how much I genuinely excelled in math, chemistry, biology, social studies, and literature. With the right support back then, maybe I would have pursued a degree in pharmaco-physiology. Or maybe I would have gone into law.

Looking Ahead

Now in my mid-fifties, my personal goal is simply to get by with whatever I can, mostly sans medication, relying on the systems and resilience I’ve built over a lifetime. I figure I’ve already hurdled and survived challenges that many others with ADHD struggle to navigate. I don’t need much for myself at this stage of my life.

But this isn’t really about me anymore. It’s about the kids growing up right now.

It would be incredible if more children could find out early, learn effective cognitive strategies before the damage of self-blame sets in, and be equipped to fully leverage the creative, intense features of ADHD while minimizing its pitfalls.

Civil rights on paper mean very little if families can’t afford a diagnosis or find treatment on pharmacy shelves. I’ll keep you all posted as things develop with the Senate.

Thank you to everyone who reads, shares, and keeps pushing for change alongside me!