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Gatchalian on SPED Program: Sen. Win Gatchalian asks Education Secretary Leonor Briones to explain the zero budget for the Special Education (SPED) program which caters to around 439,000 SPED students. “It was totally slashed. Last year’s SPED budget was P300 million. I want to know why it is zero and what will happen to the SPED students,” Gatchalian said during the proposed 2021 budget deliberations of the Department of Education Friday, September 25, 2020. Briones told Gatchalian that the SPED program is already integrated in the curriculum. But she said she will ask her officials to review the budget. (Screen grab/Senate PRIB)