Senate OKs bill for eye screening of kindergarten pupils

The Senate approved on third and final reading Monday a bill institutionalizing a nationwide eye screening program for kindergarten pupils under the Department of Education (DepEd).

Senate Bill No. 1706 or “National Vision Screening Act” seeks to establish a program for early detection of visual problems among kindergarten pupils and a funding facility for a continuing research for eye diseases and treatments.

Senator Juan Edgardo Angara, principal author of the bill, said vision screening of preschool-aged children would allow early detection of blindness and other visual disorders, which, if not treated, could lead to education, occupational and safety restrictions later in life.

“The vision of young children, particularly those at a preschool age, plays a crucial role in their development as their sight is the primary guide to most of their learning experiences. It is clear that good and healthy visual skills are fundamental to bolster a child’s literacy,” he said.

Under the bill, the DepEd, in coordination with the Department of Health (DOH) and the Philippine Eye Research Institute (PERI), will administer the vision screening program, create a database on the results of the tests, and develop a system of referral and corrective measures.

The conduct of a continuing research by PERI on childhood eye ailments is mandated with the creation of the Vision Screening Continuing Research Fund (VSCR), which will be funded through donations.

All donations and contributions to VSCR shall be exempt from donor’s tax and shall be considered as allowable deduction from the gross income of the donor.

An appropriation will be included in the annual national budgets of DepEd and DOH to cover for the expenses of the vision screening tests of public kindergarten pupils while those enrolled in private schools will be assumed by the private schools concerned. — BAP, GMA News