Gatchalian hails landmark law on inclusive education for learners with disabilities

Senator Win Gatchalian hailed President Rodrigo Duterte's signing of a landmark law, which would ensure accessible education and related services for learners with disabilities.

Republic Act No. 11650 titled "Instituting a Policy of Inclusion and Services for Learners with Disabilities in Support of Inclusive Education Act," provides that all public and private schools shall ensure equitable access to quality education to every learner with disability, such that no learner shall be denied admission on the basis of disability.

Gatchalian emphasized the timeliness of the law's signing considering the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on learners with disabilities. For School Year 2021-2022, enrollment among learners with disabilities is at 93,895, 74% lower than the pre-pandemic figure of 360,879 for School Year 2019-2020. Previous estimates from the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) suggest that there are 5.1 million Filipino children living with disabilities.

"Bago pa tumama ang pandemya, napagkakaitan na ang maraming learners with disabilities ng dekalidad at abot-kamay na edukasyon at iba pang mga serbisyo. Napapanahon itong bagong batas para sa ating mga learners with disabilities dahil matitiyak natin na hindi na sila mapag-iiwanan sa gitna ng pandemya," said Gatchalian, who sponsored the law.

Even before the pandemic hit, Gatchalian pointed out that challenges like accessibility of basic facilities, infrastructure, and transportation, among others, already hamper learning opportunities for children living with disabilities.

Under the new law, the Department of Education (DepEd), in collaboration with local government units, shall initially establish and maintain at least one Inclusive Learning Resource Center of Learners with Disabilities (ILRCs) in every city and municipality in the country. ILRCs will serve as a one-stop shop for the delivery of free support services to learners with disabilities and the implementation of inclusive education programs.

ILRCs will be manned by multidisciplinary teams composed of experts such as educational psychologists, guidance counselors, developmental pediatricians, physical therapists, speech and language therapists, special needs teachers, and other allied medical professionals.

In crafting the law's implementing rules and regulations, minimum services and conditions will be set in the admission systems and policies of all schools, including the provision of assistive devices, facilities and infrastructure in the admission process, and other forms of reasonable accommodation, among others.

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Gatchalian: Inclusive education para sa mga mag-aaral na may kapansanan batas na

Ipinagpasalamat ni Senador Win Gatchalian ang paglagda ni Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte sa isang batas na titiyakin ang dekalidad at abot-kamay na edukasyon at mga serbisyo para sa mga mag-aaral na may kapansanan.

Sa ilalim ng Republic Act No. 11650 na pinamagatang "Instituting a Policy of Inclusion and Services for Learners with Disabilities in Support of Inclusive Education Act," mandato na sa mga pampubliko at mga pribadong paaralan na tiyaking bawat mag-aaral na may kapansanan ay magkakaroon ng sapat na access sa dekalidad na edukasyon. Nakasaad din sa naturang batas na walang mag-aaral ang mapagkakaitan ng pagkakataong makapasok sa isang paaralan dahil sa kanyang kapansanan.

Ayon kay Gatchalian, napapanahon ang bagong batas lalo na't matindi ang naging pinsala ng COVID-19 pandemic sa mga mag-aaral na may kapansanan. May 93,895 na mag-aaral na may kapansanan ang naka-enroll para sa School Year 2021-2022, mas mababa ng pitumpu't apat (74) na porsyento sa 360,879 na naitala para sa School Year 2019-2020. Batay sa mga dating datos mula sa Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth), tinatayang 5.1 milyong kabataang Pilipino ang may kapansanan.

"Bago pa tumama ang pandemya, napagkakaitan na ang maraming learners with disabilities ng dekalidad at abot-kamay na edukasyon at mga serbisyo. Napapanahon itong bagong batas para sa ating mga learners with disabilities dahil matitiyak natin na pagpasok natin sa new normal, hindi na sila mapag-iiwanan," ani Gatchalian na nag-sponsor ng batas.

Bago pa tumama ang pandemya, hamon na para sa mga mag-aaral at batang may kapansanan ang kakulangan sa mga pasilidad, imprastraktura, transportasyon, at iba pa.

Sa ilalim ng bagong batas, mandato sa Department of Education (DepEd) na magpatayo at magpatakbo ng hindi bababa sa isang Inclusive Learning Resource Center of Learners with Disabilities (ILRC) sa bawat lungsod at munisipalidad. Ang mga naturang ILRC, na ipapatayo sa tulong ng mga local government units, ay magsisilbing one-stop shop para sa paghahatid ng libreng mga serbisyo para sa mga mag-aaral na may kapansanan. Ang mga ILRC din ang nagpapatupad ng iba't ibang mga programa para sa Inclusive Education.

Bawat ILRC ay magkakaroon ng mga multidisciplinary teams na binubuo ng mga eksperto tulad ng mga educational psychologists, guidance counselors, developmental pediatricians, physical therapists, speech at language therapists, special needs teachers at iba pang allied medical professionals.

Sa pagbuo ng implementing rules and regulations ng batas, isasaad ang mga minimum services at conditions na kailangang sundin sa mga sistema ng admission at polisiya ng mga paaralan. Kabilang dito ang probisyon ng assistive devices, mga pasilidad, at imprastraktura sa mga admission process, iba't ibang anyo ng reasonable accommodation, at iba pa.

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