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QUESTIONS ABOUT SPECIAL EDUCATION by Meinrad C. Bautista December 13, 2015 What is the status of special education programs in the Philippines? At present, there are seven hundred ninety-four (794) special education programs in all the regions, six hundred sixteen (616) of which are in public school...

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QUESTIONS ABOUT SPECIAL EDUCATION by Meinrad C. Bautista December 13, 2015 What is the status of special education programs in the Philippines? At present, there are seven hundred ninety-four (794) special education programs in all the regions, six hundred sixteen (616) of which are in public schools. One hundred forty-four (144) programs utilize the Special Education Center delivery mode for the full or partial mainstreaming of children with special needs in regular classes. Likewise, there are thirty-four (34) state and private special residential schools. How does the department of education sustain its special education programs in the country? The Department of Education (DepEd) through the Bureau of Elementary Education (BEE) and the Bureau of Secondary Education (BSE) issued DO 38, s.2015, the enclosed Guidelines on the Utilization of Support Funds for the Special Education (SPED) Program. Pursuant to DECS Order No. 26, s. 1997 entitled Institutionalization of SPED Program in All Schools, the support funds aims to enhance the operation of the Program and augment the regular Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses (MOOE) of all recognized SPED Centers for elementary and secondary schools with classes for learners with special needs. Specifically, it aims to enhance access to and upgrade the quality of SPED programs and services, as well as to raise the efficiency of their operations. The mechanisms and procedures constituting the downloading of support funds shall guide school recipients on proper utilization, which shall be used for eligible SPED related activities and expenses as stated in the enclosure. To be indicated in the Perpetual Index under the following subjects:  Expenses  Funds  Schools  Special Education  Policy The DepEd issued DO 98, s. 2011 - Revised Guidelines on the Utilization of the Financial Support Fund to the Secondary Schools Special Education (SPED) Program which was amended by DO 27, s. 2012 - Changes in and Additional Provision to DepEd Order No. 98, S. 2011 (Revised Guidelines on the Utilization of the Financial Support Fund to the Secondary Schools Special Education (SPED) Program. For School Year (SY) 2012-2013, the one hundred fifty three (153) secondary schools implementing the Special Education (SPED) Program (focused on disabilities) which submitted the enrolment data shall be granted Five Hundred Thousand Pesos (PhP500,000.00) subsidy for the effective delivery of service to the students with exceptionalities. Please see the enclosure for the list of schools. The subsidy shall be released directly to the recipient schools with fiscal autonomy or through the Schools Division Offices (DOs) for those schools without fiscal autonomy pursuant to the provisions of the Department of Education-Department of Budget and Management (DepEd-

DBM) Joint Circular No. 2004-1 entitled “The Guidelines on the Direct Release of Funds to Regional Offices and Implementing Units.” The subsidy following the suggested percentage breakdown, shall be utilized to support the implementation of the following activities of the SPED Program as reflected in the approved School Improvement Plan (SIP): Percentage of Allotment: Not exceeding 35%: Not exceeding 25%:

Not exceeding 20%: Not exceeding 20%:

Activity Purchase of assistive devices and psychological /IQ tests tools; Training/Professional upgrading of teachers and school heads, travel expenses relative to participation/attendance to conferences, study visits, and other activities relevant to the implementation of the Program; Conduct of INSET in the development of instructional materials and evaluation of learning; and Student development, leadership training, education visits and student participation in SPED-related activities.

To ensure that the financial subsidy is rationally utilized and is recommended for its continued release to recipient schools, the DBM shall release the 50% of the subsidy automatically to the schools beginning of SY 2012- 2013, while the remaining 50% shall be computed based on the number of exceptionalities served upon submission of enrolment report for SY 2011-2012. The breakdown will be as follows: No. of Exceptionalities Served Amount to be Released 1=PhP50,000.00 2=PhP100,000.00 3=PhP150,000.00 4=PhP200,000.00 5 or more=PhP250,000.00 To ensure that the financial subsidy is rationally utilized and is recommended for its continued release to recipient schools, the DBM shall release the 50% of the subsidy automatically to the schools beginning of SY 2012- 2013, while the remaining 50% shall be computed based on the number of exceptionalities served upon submission of enrolment report for SY 2011-2012. The breakdown will be as follows: The recipient schools must provide the Bureau of Secondary Education (BSE) a liquidation report on the utilization of the subsidy as well as the enrolment report mentioned in Item No. 4. Non compliance may result in the suspension of the subsidy.

What are the significant events that have shaped the history of special education in the last century? a. in the early 1900s until 1949 Historically, the interest to educate Filipino children with disabilities was expressed more than a century ago in 1902 during the American regime. The General Superintendent of Education, Mr. Fred Atkinson, reported to the Secretary of Public Instruction that deaf and blind children were found in a census of school-aged children in Manila and nearby provinces. He proposed that these children be enrolled in schools like the other children. However it was not until 1907 when the special education program formally started in the country. The Director of Public Education, Mr. David Barrows, worked for the establishment of Insular School for the Deaf and the Blind in Manila. Ms. Delight Rice, an American educator, was the first administrator and teacher of the special school. At present, the school for the Deaf is located on Harrison St., Pasay City while the Philippine National School for the Blind is adjacent to it on Polo Raod. 1926 – 1949 The Philippine Association of the Deaf (PAD) composed mostly of hearing impaired members and special education specialists was founded in 1926. The following year in 1927, the government established the Welfareville Children’s Village in Mandaluyong, Rizal. In 1936, Mrs. Maria Villa Francisco was appointed as the first Filipino principal of the School for the Deaf and the Blind (SDB). In 1945, the National Orthopedic Hospital opened its School for Crippled Children (NOHSCC) for young patients who had to be hospitalized for long periods of time. In 1949, Quezon City Science High School for gifted students was inagurated. In the same year, the Philippine Foundation for the Rehabilitation of the Disabled (PFRD) was organized. b. the third quarter of the century In 1950, PAD opened a school for children with hearing impairment. The Elsie Gaches Village (EGV) was established in 1953 in Alabang, Muntinlupa, Rizal to take care of abandoned and orphaned children and youth with physical and mental handicaps. The following year in 1954, the first week of August was declared as Sight Saving Week. The private sector supported the government’s program for disabled Filipinos. In 1955, members of Lodge No. 761 of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks organized the Elks Cerebral Palsy Project Incorporated. In the same year, the First Parent Teacher Work Conference in Special Education was held ath the SDB. In 1956, the First Summer Institute on Teaching the Deaf was held at the School for the Deaf and Blind in Pasay City. The following school year marked the beginning of the integration of deaf pupils in regular classes. In 1957, the Bureau of Public Schools (BPS) of the Department of Education and Culture (DEC) created the Special Education Section of the Special Subjects and Services Division. The inclusion of Special Education in the structure of DEC provided the impetus for the development of special education in all regions of the country. The components of the special education program included legislation, teaching training, census of exceptional children and youth in schools and the community, the integration of children with disabilities in regular classes, rehabilitation of residential and special schools and materials production. Baguio Vacation Normal School ran courses on teaching children with handicaps. The Baguio City Special Education Center was organized in the same year.

In 1958, the American Foundation for Overseas Blind (AFOB) opened its regional office in Manila. For many years, AFOB assisted the special education program of the DEC by providing consultancy services in the teacher training program taht focused on the integration of blind children in regular classes and materials production at the Philippine Printing House for the Blind. In 1960, some private colleges and universities started to offer special education courses in their graduate school curriculum. In 1962, the Manila Youth and Rehabilitation Center (MYRC) was opened. The center extended services to children and youth who were emotionally disturbed and socially maladjusted. In the same year, DEC issued Circular No.11 s. 1962 that specified the qualifications of Special Education Teachers.” Also, in 1962, PFRD sponsored the Second Pan Pacific Rehabilitation Conference in Manila that convened international experts in the rehabilitation of handicapped persons. Another milestone in 1962 was the experimental integration of blind children a the Jose Rizal Elementary School in Pasay City in 1962. It was also in 1962 when the St. Joseph of Cupertino school for the Mentally Retarded, a private day school, was founded. The training of DEC teacher scholars at the University of the Philippines commenced in 1962 in the areas of hearing impairment, mental retardation and mental giftedness under R.A. 5250. In the same year, the Philippine General Hospital opened classes for its school-age chronically ill patients. With the approval of R.A. No. 3562 in 1963, the training of DEC teacher scholars for the blind children started at the Philippine Normal College. The Philippine Printing House for the Blind was established at the DEC compound with the assistance of the American Foundation for Overseas Blind, UNICEF, and CARE Philippines. In the same year, the Manila Science High School for gifted students was established. In 1964, the Quezon City Schools Division followed suit with the establishment of the Quezon City Science High School for gifted students. The year 1965 marked the start of the training program for school administrators on the organization, administration, and supervision of special education classes. The first Institute on the Education and Training of the Mentally Retarded was sponsored by the Special Child Study Center, the Bureau of Public schools, and the Philippine Mental Health Association at the Ateneo de Manila University. In 1967, BPS organized the National Commitee on Special Education. General Letter No. 213 regulating the size of special classes for maximum effectiveness was issued in the same year. With the approval of R.A. No. 5250 in 1968 the teacher training program for teachers of exceptional children was held at the Philippine Normal College for the next ten years. In the same year, the same year, the First Asian Conference on Work for the Blind was held in Manila. In 1969, classes for socially maladjusted children were organized at the Manila Youth Reception Center. The Jose Fabella Memorial School was divided into five units and assigned to different parts of Metro Manila: The Philippine Training School for Boys in Tanay Rizal; the Philippine Training School for Girls in Marillac Hills, Alabang, Muntinlupa; Reception and Child Study Center in Manila; Elsie Gaches Village in Alabang and Nayon ng Kabataan in Pasay City.

The training of teachers for children with behavior problems started at the University of the Philippines in 1970. In the same year, the School for the Deaf and the Blind established in 1907 was reorganized into two separate residential schools: the School for the Deaf (PSD) stayed in the original building and the Philippine National School for the Blind (PNSB) was built next to PSD. Also, in the same year, a special school was established in San Pablo City, the Paaralan ng Pag-ibig at Pag-asa. DEC issued a memorandum of Duties of the Special Education Teacher for the Blind in 1971. In 1973, the Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court of manila established the Tahanan Special School for socially maladjusted children and youth. Meanwhile, in the same year, the first Asian Conference on Mental Retardation was held in Manila under the auspices of the UNESCO National Commission of the Philippines Association for the Retarded (PAR). Caritas Manila’s Special School for the Retarded was organized by Rev. Fr. Arthur Malin, SVD. In 1974, the First national Conference on the Rehabilitation of the Disabled was held at the Social Security Building in Quezon City. The Southeast Asian Institute for Deaf (SAID), a private day school, was established in the same year. The following year, the Division of Manila City Schools implemented the Silahis Concept of Special Education in public elementary schools. Six schools were chosen to organize special education programs for the different types of exceptional children. Until today, the Silahis Centers continue to lead in the inclusion of exceptional children in regular classes. When the DEC was reorganized into the Ministry of Education Culture (MEC) in 1975, the Special Subjects and Services Division was abolished. The personnel of the Special Education Section were divided into two. Half of them composed the Special Education Unit of the MEC while the other half was assigned to the Special Education Unit of the MEC National Capital Region in Quezon City. c. the last thirty years 1976-2000 In 1976, Proclamation 1605 declared 1977 to 1987 as the decade of the Filipino Child. The National Action Plan for Education was promulgated which included provisions for in-and-outof-school exceptional children. In the same year, the First Camp Pag-ibig, a day camp for handicapped children was held on Valentine’s Day in Balara, Quezon City. Meanwhile, the Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court in Quezon City organized the Molave Youth Hall for Children with Behavior Problems. In 1977, MEC issued Department Order No. 10 that designated regional and division supervisors of special education programs. The West Visayas State College of Iloilo City started its teacher training program and offered scholarships to qualified teachers. The Bacarra Special Education Center, Division of Ilocos Sur and the Bacolod Special Education Center, Division of Bacolod City opened in the same year. The year 1978 marked the creation of the National Commission Concerning Disabled Persons (NCCDP), later renamed National Council for the Welfare of Disabled Persons or NCWDP through Presidential Decree 1509. MEC Memorandum No. 285 directed school divisions to organize special classes with a set of guidelines on the designation of teachers who have no

formal training in special education. In the same year, the University of the Philippines opened its special education teacher training program for undergraduate students. Meanwhile, the Philippine Association for the Deaf started its mainstreaming program in the Division of Manila City Schools. The Davao Special School was established in the Division of Davao City while the Philippine High School for the Arts was organized in Mt. Makiling, Laguna. The Second International Conference on Legislation Concerning Disabled was held in Manila under the leadership of the PFRD. In 1979, the Bureau of Elementary Education Special Education Unit conducted a two-year nationwide survey of unidentified exceptional children who were in school. The Caritas MedicoPedagogical Institution for the Mentally Retarded was organized. The Jagna Special Education Center in the Division of Bohol was organized. The school for Crippled Children at the Souhtern Island Hospital in Cebu City was organized in 1980. In 1981, the United Nations Assembly proclaimed the observance of the International Year of Disabled Persons. Three special education programs were iangurated: the Exceptional Child Learning Center at the West City Central School Division of Cebu, and the Deaf Evangelistic Alliance Foundation (DEAF) in Cavinti, Laguna. In 1982, three special schools were opened: the Cebu State College Special High School for the Deaf, the Siaton Special Education Center in the Division of Negros Oriental and the St. John Maria de Vianney Special Education Learning Center in Quezon City. In 1983, Batas pambansa Bilang 344 enacted the Accessibility Law, “An Act to Enhance the Mobility of Disabled Persons by Requiring Cars, Buildings, Institutions, Establishments, and Public Utilities to Install Facilities and Other Devices.” In the same year, the Batac Special Education Center in the Division of Ilocos Norte was organized. In 1984, two special education programs were inaugurated: the Labangon Special Education Center Division of Cebu City and the Northern Luzon Association`s Heinz Wolke School for the Blind at the Marcos Highway in Baguio City. More SPED Centers opened the next three years: the Pedro Acharon Special Education Center in the Division of General Santos City, the Legaspi City Special Education Center in Pag-asa Legaspi City, and the Dau Special Education Center in the Division of Pampanga. In 1990, the Philippine Institute for the Deaf (PID) an oral school for children with hearing impairment was established. The following year, the First National Congress on Street Children was held at La Salle Greenhills in San JuanMetro Manila. In 1992, the Summer Training for Teachers of the Visually Impaired started at the Philippine Normal University. The program was sponsored by the Department of Education, Culture and Sports (DECS), the Resources for the Blind Incorporated (RBI) and the Christoffel Blindenmission (CBM). In 1993, DECS issued Order No. 14 that directed regional offices to organize the Regional Special Education Council (RSEC). The years 1993 to 2002 were declared as the Asian and the Pacific Decade of the Disabled Persons. Three conventions were held in 1995: the First National Congress on Mental Retardation at the University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City; the First National Convention on Deaf Education in Cebu City which was subsequently held every two years; and the First National Sports Summit for the Disabled and the Elderly. The national Registration Day for Persons with Disablilities was held this year too. The Summer Training of Teachers for Children with Hearing Impairment started at the Philippine Normal University with funding from the Christoffel Blindenmission (CBM).

In 1996, the third week of January was declared as Autism Consciousness Week. Likewise the First National Congress on Visual Impairment was held in Quezon City and subsequently held every two years. The First Seminar Workshop on Information Technology for the Visually Impaired was held in Manila sponsored by the RBI. The First Congress on Special Needs Education was held in Baguio City. A number of events took place in 1997. DECS Order No.1 was issued which directed the organization of a Regional Special Education Unit and the Designation of a Regional Supervisor for Special Education. Similarly, DECS Order No.26 on the Institutionalization of Special Education Programs in All Schools was promulgated. The First Wheelathon-a-race for Wheelchair Users was the main event of the 19th National Disability Prevention and Rehabilitation week. The SPED Mobile Training on Inclusive Education at the Regional Level was held with funding from CBM. The Urdaneta II Special Education Center was opened in the Division of Urdaneta City and the Bayawan West Special Education Center in the Division of Negros Oriental. The First Teacher Training Program for the Integration of Autistic Children was held in Marikina City. In 1998, DECS Order No.5 “Reclassification of Regular Teacher and Principal Items to Special Education Teacher and Special Schools Principal Item” was issued. Palarong Pinoy May K was held at Philsports Complex in Paisg City...