Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 31) – The Senate approved on third and final reading the proposed measure that seeks to establish services for learners with disabilities (LWDs), almost a week after passing the bill on second reading.
All the 23 senators in attendance voted in favor of passing Senate Bill No. 1907 on Monday.
The proposal declares that “no learner with disability shall be denied admission and inclusion in any public or private early or basic education school in the country to afford such learners with equitable opportunities to educational services and programs.”
The bill mandates the Department of Education to establish at least one Inclusive Learning Resource Center (ILRC) in all cities and municipalities. Existing Special Education centers will be renamed ILRC.
The bill’s principal sponsor, Sen. Win Gatchalian, emphasized the bill is a significant step for learners with disabilities to attend in a school that meets their specialized care and training.
“This law will serve as a catalyst of a truly inclusive education system that is equipped to identify and serve the needs of each and every Filipino learner, no matter his/her circumstances,” said Gatchalian in a plenary speech.
The bill also requires DepEd to hire and train a supervisor, mobile teachers, and a team of professionals which will include educational psychologist, guidance counselor, physical therapist, occupational therapist, speech and language therapist, reading specialist, and sign language specialist among others for each ILRC.
Further, the bill institutionalizes the creation of a Bureau of Inclusive Education, an attached agency under DepEd that will ensure the implementation of services for learners with disabilities.
An Advisory Council for Education of Learners with Disabilities will also be established under the bill. The council will be composed of representatives from various PWD sectors and a representative from the academe, who will meet with DepEd in formulating related policies.
The Education Department is also mandated to undertake continuing research in designing programs to meet the needs of LWDs.
Under the measure, LWDs with financial difficulties are also entitled to government-mandated financial and educational assistance programs.
The House version of the bill was passed in December last year.
As of the School Year 2017-18, the DepEd tallied 184,707 graded LWDs and 46,016 non-graded ones. Those LWDs who are considered as gifted and talented are around 74,346 in total according to the department’s tally.
LWDs who have “difficulty remembering, concentrating, paying attention, and understanding based on manifestation” comprise the largest bulk of graded students with 60,243. LWDs with “intellectual disability with diagnosis” have the biggest number of non-graded learners with 16,845.
