BETTER DAYS Senator Sonny Angara The pandemic has disrupted many aspects of our children’s lives—their education, perhaps the most significantly. But as we adapt to distance and online learning, the difficulty of this change is more profound for Learners with Disabilities (LWDs). The ensuing challenges are no insignificant matter, considering the number of our LWDs. In 2018, Department of Education records showed that there were 231,631 LWDs enrolled in special classes, separate from regular classrooms. This year, as of July 15, only 51,375 had enrolled. From data collected in 2018, PhilHealth estimated that there were 5.1 million children with disabilities in the country. Visual, auditory, vocal, and developmental issues also require more extensive adaptations and learning strategies, to compensate for the lack of focused interaction from trained educators. Furthermore, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) shared in a Senate panel hearing that less than 10% of child development workers were qualified to manage LWDs in daycare centers. That is why I support SBN1907, An Act Instituting Services and Programs for Learners with Disabilities in Support of Inclusive Education Act, filed by the chairman of the Senate Committee on Basic Education, Senator Sherwin Gatchalian. This measure mandates that no child or student will be denied admission and inclusion in any public or private school for early or basic education, regardless of their condition. The measure also incorporates our bill (SBN 329) on establishing Inclusive Education Learning Resource Centers (ILRCs) around the country. To be established via collaborations between the Department of Education and Local Government Units (LGUs), these ILRCs will have many functions. One is to implement a Child Find System or CFS for identifying, locating, and evaluating learners with disabilities who are not receiving education. Facilitation for inclusion into the general education system will then be done. Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) will also be prepared, implemented, and reviewed for use, in conjunction with appropriate teaching and educational materials that are adapted to various disabilities. This will include Filipino Sign Language (FSL) materials for those with hearing disabilities, and Braille for the visually impaired. Materials specific to those with developmental disabilities will also be prepared. The Department of Education (DepEd), Department of Health (DOH), and DSWD will coordinate to hire qualified personnel and support staff for each ILRC, including qualified PWDs. The central staff will be supported by mobile teachers and other multidisciplinary teams. The DepEd will also make sure to collaborate with stakeholders for multi-level collaborations that will develop and conduct seminars, workshops, and training programs that will empower the educators and staff of each ILRC, ostensibly. A referral system will also be established that will provide, organize, and monitor the multidisciplinary services needed by learners with disabilities (LWDs) and their families; this will nominally be in the form of community resources. If necessary, transition, alternative education, and early intervention programs will be done in collaboration with Child Development Centers. Proven research-based support services and auxiliary aids such as therapy, communication- delivery materials and tools, and assistance in transferring to post-secondary or tertiary educational institutions will also be under the purview of the act. Other education-centered entities will also be created, such as the Bureau of Inclusive Education, which will oversee the integration, harmonization, and coordination of policies, functions, and roles within the government, and the Advisory Council for Education of Learners with Disabilities, composed of representatives of PWDs and their respective organizations. The act will also create, develop, and maintain the Learners with Disabilities Information System, a collaboration between the DepEd and the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT). Finally, a Joint Congressional Oversight Committee (JCOC) on Inclusive Education will be established to oversee, monitor, and evaluate the implementation of the act. If enacted, this measure could be further strengthened with links to other acts, such as encouraging more medical students to become developmental pediatricians, possibly through the Doktor Para Sa Bayan Act on medical scholarships, which is pending for signature by the President. Inclusive Education is not only about making sure no one is left behind. It is also an affirmation of Filipino culture and tradition, that education is the most important gift we can give to next generations. E-mail: [email protected]| Facebook, Twitter & Instagram: @sonnyangara Senator Sonny Angara has been in public service for 16 years—9 years as Representative of the Lone District of Aurora, and 7 as Senator. He has authored and sponsored more than 200 laws. He is currently serving his second term in the Senate.