Senate Bill 979 on Parkinson's Disease in the Philippines

In the First Regular Session of the Fourteenth Congress of the Republic of the Philippines, Senator Manny Villar introduced Senate Bill 979, which was received by the Office of the Secretary of the Senate on July 4, 2007 at 10:04 AM. This senate bill is the Parkinson's Disease Public Awareness and Education Act. It has been pending in the Committee on Health and Demography headed by Senator Loren Legarda since September 5, 2007. I am reproducing the said bill filed verbatim with this explanatory note from the distinguished Senator.

"Parkinson's disease is a debilitating, painful,and incurable neurological disorder of unknown origin that disrupts and can end the lives of those who suffer from it.
Parkinson's disease causes diverse symptoms, including rigidity,slowness of movement,poor balance and tremors, which lead to impaired ability to walk, speak, swallow,and even breathe, so that the end result can be a clear mind trapped inside a body that has lost its ability to function. The visible symptoms of Parkinson's disease are often mistaken to be a normal part of the aging process.
It has been estimated that thousands of Filipinos have been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, there are more diagnosed nationally each year, and most of them have never seen a neurologist.
The bill shall include programs such as development of a public education and outreach campaign to promote Parkinson's disease awareness and education, including, but not limited to, the cause and nature of the disease, diagnostic procedures and appropriate indications for their use, lifestyle issues relating to how a person copes with Parkinson's disease, environmental safety and injury prevention and availability of Parkinson's disease diagnostic and treatment services in the community."