Third Secretary and Vice-Consul Maria Rosanna O. Josue read the brief introduction on autism while Colonel Raymundo R. Acorda PA (MNSA), Defense and Armed Forces Attaché (DAFA), led the 1Pangako pledge. The introduction reads as follows:

"Autism is a neurological condition affecting millions of Filipinos.  You have very likely met or seen an individual with autism in church, in school, at work, at the mall, at the movies, at the hospital.  They are not any different from you.  

Individuals with autism have a unique way of processing things they see, hear, feel, taste and smell.  Doctors consider it a developmental disorder.  Governments legally recognize it as a disability.  Families who live with autism have daily struggles not everyone can understand.  

On the occasion of the National Autism Consciousness Week, we celebrate the great things that the Philippine Government has done for individuals with autism and their families -- such as the Magna Carta of Persons with Disabilities, the Equal Opportunity Employment Act, the Anti-Bullying Act and for some LGUs, unique services for children with exceptionalities. 

Partnership between the government, the private sector, and civil society groups like the Autism Society Philippines will ensure sustained inclusive development for the future."