Lawmakers moved to elevate to Malacañang for early signing into law a Congress-ratified legislation mandating sweeping reforms to benefit learners with disabilities.
Sen. Win Gatchalian, co-author and sponsor of Senate Bill 1907, hailed the Senate’s ratification of the bicameral conference committee report that merged its counterpart House Bill 8080, paving the way for President Duterte to sign into law the landmark legislation “Instituting a Policy of Inclusion and Services for Learners with Disabilities in Support of Inclusive Education Act.”
The awaited legislation mandates that “all schools, whether public or private, 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.”
In a news statement, Gatchalian reported that the lawmakers, in crafting the new law, ensured the proposed measure’s implementing rules and regulations shall provide that “minimum services and conditions will be set in the admissions systems and policies of all schools,” adding that it likewise included “the provision of assistive devices, facilities and infrastructure in the admission process, and other forms of reasonable accommodation,” among others.
He added that the remedial legislation, as proposed, also provides for “the creation of a national network of Inclusive Learning Resource Centers of Learners with Disabilities [ILRC] that 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.”
Moreover, the senator affirmed that the Department of Education (DepEd), in collaboration with local government units (LGUs), are mandated to “initially establish and maintain at least one ILRC in all cities and municipalities,” adding that the ILRCs may also be established in every schools district based on the requirements of cities and municipalities and the availability of resources.
He noted, “Each ILRC will have a multidisciplinary team, which will be 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.
After confirming that the Senate and House panels already settled disagreeing provisions on Senate Bill 1907 and House Bill 8080, Gatchalian projected that its early enactment into law by Malacañang would be credited as the “most beautiful gift” to the education sector.
At the same time, he also credited fellow senators who signed up as co-authors of his bill, including: Lito Lapid, Pia Cayetano, Sonny Angara, Cynthia Villar, Joel Villanueva, Bong Revilla Jr., Miguel Zubiri, Nancy Binay, Risa Hontiveros, Bong Go, Richard Gordon, Leila de Lima, Francis Tolentino, and Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel.