Republic of the Philippines ley
House of Representatives RECENVE % a
Quezon City F

Eighteenth Congress
First Regular Session
285

House Bill No.

Introduced by Representatives
Estrellita B. Suansing and Horacio P. Suansing, Jr.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

While the State provides for free basic education, there are those that
miss out opportunities to receive these benefits, especially as their needs are
not similar with the average child. According to data from the Department of
Education as of late 2012, children with special needs are estimated to
account for 13 percent of the total population of children, figuring to 5.49
million; 1.27 million are gifted while persons with disability (PWDs) comprise
4.2 million.

The proposed bill seeks to provide inclusive education for children and
youth with special needs by providing them appropriate public education and
related services according to their needs in order to prepare them for adult
living and community life towards self-sufficiency, ultimately enabling them
to become fully participative members of society. Additionally, parents,
caregivers, and teachers will be equipped with the capability to identify, refer
and intervene with the developmental disorders and disabilities of children.
This measure also envisions to create significant and positive changes in
community attitudes towards disability and the need to provide special
education and proper care for children and youth with special needs.

This bill is a re-file of House Bill No. 9104, approved on Third and
Final Reading during the 17 Congress. In view of the foregoing, immediate
passage of this bill is earnestly sought.

REP. Bone Guam, JR.

1* District, Nueva Ecija 204 District, Nueva Ecija

REP.


Republic of the Philippines
House of Representatives
Quezon City

Eighteenth Congress
First Regular Session

House Bill No. eay

Introduced by Representatives
Estrellita B. Suansing and Horacio P. Suansing, Jr.

AN ACT
INSTITUTING INCLUSIVE EDUCATION, ESTABLISHING INCLUSIVE
EDUCATION LEARNING RESOURCE CENTERS FOR CHILDREN AND
YOUTH WITH SPECIAL NEEDS (CYSNs) IN ALL PUBLIC SCHOOLS
DIVISIONS, PROVIDING FOR STANDARDS AND GUIDELINES, AND
APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR

Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines
in Congress assembled:

SECTION 1. Title. — This Act shall be known as the “Inclusive Education for
Children and Youth with Special Needs Act.”

ARTICLE I
POLICIES AND OBJECTIVES

SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. - The following are hereby declared the
policies of the State:

(a) Protect and promote the rights of children and youth with special
needs to make quality education accessible to them;


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(b) Recognize the vital role of children and youth with special needs
in society, consider their needs as integral part of national development
strategies, and facilitate their active participation and integration in public,
civic and State affairs;

(c) Give full support for their welfare and development to ensure
their full integration to society;

(d) Consider the special requirements of disabled persons in the
formulation of inclusive educational policies and programs;

(e) Encourage learning institutions to take into account the special
needs of persons with disabilities with respect to the use of school facilities,
class schedules, physical education requirements, and other pertinent

considerations;

() Support learning institutions, especially higher learning
institutions, in providing auxiliary services that will facilitate the learning
process for persons with disability, ensure inclusive and equitable quality
education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all;

(g) Recognize the right of the children and youth with special needs
to education on the basis of equal opportunity, in particular, making primary
education compulsory and accessible to every children and youth with special
needs;

(h) Recognize the right of the children and youth with special needs
to the highest attainable standard of health and to facilitate for the treatment
of illness; and rehabilitation of health and ensure that no child is deprived of
the right of access to such health care and rehabilitation services; and

() Ensure that children and youth with special needs belonging to
ethnic, religious or linguistic minorities or persons of indigenous origin shall
not be denied the right to education, health treatment, or health rehabilitation

in community with other members, to enjoy their own culture, profess and

practice their own religion, or to use their own language.
SEC. 3. Objectives. - This Act shall pursue the following objectives:

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(a) Provide children and youth with special needs free and
appropriate public education and related services in accordance with their
needs, and in preparation for adult living and community life;

(b) Provide children and youth with special needs access to general
education curriculum through the formal systems and alternative delivery

services in education;

(©) Facilitate the inclusion and integration of children and youth with
special needs into mainstream education in accordance with the United
Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, and the
Incheon Strategy to Make the Rights Real for Persons with Disabilities in Asia
and the Pacific;

(4) Implement inclusive education and establish Inclusive Education
Learning Resource Centers (IELRC) for inclusion of children and youth with
special needs in the educational mainstream in the least restrictive
environment;

(e) Ensure that children and youth with special needs fully develop
their potential toward self-sufficiency and become fully participative members
of society;

(9 Ensure that children and youth with special needs understand,
appreciate, and respect differences amongst groups and members of society
in which they live;

(g) Identify, through a Child Find System, children and youth with
special needs ages three (3) to twenty-four (24), and infants and toddlers
under the age of three (3), in compliance with Republic Act No. 10410,
otherwise known as the “Early Years Act of 2003”;

(h) Develop, implement, and review individualized Education Plan;

() Provide parents with information and opportunities to actively
participate in the possible school placement options and educational
programs for their children and to enable them to make informed choices and

decisions;


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() Enable and empower parents and family members by training
and equipping them with capabilities to identify, prevent, refer or intervene
with regard to disorders, disabilities and abilities of their children;

(k) Train and equip special education teachers, regular teachers,
principals /administrators, non-teaching staff of the school, and caregivers as
primary sources of care, development, education and advancement of children
and youth with special needs;

() Increase school retention and cohort survival of children and
youth with special needs;

(m) Create significant and positive changes in community orientation
towards disability and the need to provide inclusive education and proper care
of children and youth with special needs; and

(n) Regularly consult and actively involve persons with disabilities,
including children and youth with special needs, through their representative
organizations, in the implementation of this Act and issues relating to it.

ARTICLE IL
DEFINITION OF TERMS
SEC. 4. Definition of Terms. - As used in this Act:

(a) Basic education refers to a program of instruction intended to
meet the basic learning needs which provide the foundation on which
subsequent learning can be based. It encompasses early childhood,
kindergarten, elementary and secondary education as well as alternative
learning systems for out-of-school learners and those with special needs.

(b) Child Find System refers to the process of identifying, locating,
and evaluating every qualified child or youth with special needs so that the
concerned child development teacher/workers who are under the jurisdiction
of local government units (LGUs) can notify parents or guardians of those who

are not receiving public education services of the right of their children to


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receive the same and facilitate such children’s integration into the school

system.

(c) Children and youth with special needs refer to children and youth
who are gifted or talented, or with intellectual disabilities, learning
disabilities, mental, emotional or behavioral disorders, speech and language
disorders, sensory impairments, autism, long-term physical or health
disabilities, deaf, blindness and multiple handicapping conditions which in
interaction with various barriers may hinder their full and effective
participation in society on an equal basis with others and are in need of
special education as well as services for rehabilitation. They differ from the
average children in neuropsychological characteristics, sensory and cognitive
abilities, neuromuscular or physical characteristics, and social attributes to
such an extent that the use of modified school practices or special education
services are required to develop them to maximum capability.

(4) Disability refers to (1) long-term physical, mental, intellectual or
sensory impairment that substantially limit one or more physiological or
anatomical function of an individual or activities of such individual; (2)
limitation or difficulty encountered by an individual in executing a task or
action; and (3) a participation restriction or problem experienced by an
individual in involvement in life’s situations.

It does not just entail a health problem but shall reflect the interaction
between features of a person’s body and features of the society in which he
lives as well as the difficulties the person has encountered to remove the

environment and social barriers.

(ce) Inclusive education refers to a process of addressing and
responding to the diverse needs of all learners by increasing participation in
learning, cultural activities and community life, and reducing exclusion
within and from education. It involves changes and modifications in content,
approaches, structures and strategies, anchored on a common vision for all
children of the appropriate age range and the conviction that it is the
responsibility of the State to educate all children. It focuses on the


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achievement of high-quality education for all learners and the all-
encompassing development of more inclusive societies.

() Individual Education Program (IEP) refers to the systematic,
purposive and developmental educational programming of curricular and
instructional priorities and contents designed to a meet a learner’s special
needs and aimed at ensuring mastery of target skills and behaviors. It
specifies the services to be provided and how often; describes the learner’s
present level of performances and how the learner’s disabilities affect
academic performances; and specifies accommodations and modifications to
be provided to the learner. An IEP must be designed to meet the unique
educational needs of a child in the appropriate and least restrictive
environment.

(g) Learning Resource Center (Center) refers to a teaching/learning
support system for students, teachers, school personnel and other education
stakeholders of children and youth with special needs. It includes
appropriate, accessible, disability, cultural- and  gender-sensitive
instructional learning materials, tools, devices, gadgets, equipment to
facilitate and enhance learning; assessment tools and instruments to evaluate
developmental domains and specific areas of concern necessary in
determining appropriate services and placement decisions; medical, health
and allied professional for care, rehabilitation and development of learners.

(h) Least restrictive environment (LRE) refers to the situation where a
learner, who has a disability, is accorded the opportunity to be educated with
non-disabled peers to the greatest extent appropriate. The children and youth
with special needs should have access to the general education curriculum,
or any other program that non-disabled peers are able to access. The children
and youth with special needs shall be provided with supplementary aids and
services necessary to achieve educational goals if placed in a setting with non-
disabled peers, and shall receive an appropriate version of educational and
social benefits which non-disabled students routinely receive in school.


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() Private sector participation refers to all forms of indispensable,
substantial and meaningful participation of private individuals, partnerships,
groups or entities, disabled people’s organizations, community-based
organizations or non-government organizations, and business and industry
groups in the delivery of educational and rehabilitative services for children
and youth with special needs.

() Special Education (SPED) refers to the customized instructional
program/service designed to meet the unique needs of individual children and
youth with special needs, which may necessitate the use of supplementary
aids and services and teaching strategies in classroom and non-academic
settings and includes instruction on physical and vocational education, social
skills development and travel training. It is geared towards their integration
into mainstream education and to prepare them as independent and
functioning members of society.

(k) Special Instructional Materials refer to textbooks in Braille, large
type, audio, digital or any other medium or apparatus that convey information
to a student or otherwise contributes to the learning process.

() Universal Design for Learning (UDL) refers to a scientifically valid
framework for guiding educational practice established by the Department of
Education that:

(1) Provides flexibility in the way information is presented, in
the way students respond or demonstrate knowledge and skills, and in
the way students are engaged; and

(2) Reduces barriers in instruction, provides appropriate
accommodations, supports mental and physical challenges and
maintains high achievement expectations for all students, including
students with disabilities and students who have limited English

proficiency.

It also refers to a set of principles that guides the design of inclusive
classroom instruction and accessible course materials. The three principles
of UDL are:


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(i) Recognition ~ refers to multiple methods of representation that
give learners a variety of ways to acquire information and build knowledge;

(ii) Strategic Learning - refers to multiple means of student action
and expression that provide learners alternative modes for demonstrating
what they have learned; and

(iii) Affective Learning - refers to multiple modes of student
engagement that tap into learners’ interests, challenge them appropriately
and motivate them to learn.

ARTICLE Ill
INCLUSIVE EDUCATION LEARNING RESOURCE CENTER

SEC. 5. Establishment of Inclusive Education Learning Resource
Centers. - All public schools divisions of the DepEd shall establish an
Inclusive Education Learning Resource Center, hereinafter referred to as the
Center, for children and youth with special needs, where there are no existing
Centers: Provided, That all Centers shall comply with the Universal Design for
Learning as defined under Section 4, subparagraph (I) of this Act: Provided,
further, That all Centers and facilities for children and youth with special
needs shall also be compliant with the requirements of Batas Pambansa
Bilang 344, otherwise known as the “Accessibility Law.”

SEC. 6. Functions of the Center. - The Center shall function as a learning
resource center that shall assist in promoting inclusive education and in
capacitating regular schools to effectively handle the needs of children and
youth with special needs. It shall:

(a) Assess children and youth with special needs to identify specific
developmental areas of concern and determine appropriate services and grade
placement options;

(b) Support children with disabilities and special needs in such a
manner that they could be integrated/included in regular schools in the least
restrictive environment;

(©) Conduct school-based training of children and youth with special

needs;


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(a) Produce appropriate teaching materials for children and youth
with special needs’

(c) Provide training to regular teachers, administrators, non-
teaching personnel and parents on inclusive education;

() | Monitor case management of children and youth with special
needs within the division;

(g) _ Ensure that the children and youth with special needs within the
division shall receive the appropriate services needed;

(h) Implement the programs of the Center such as individualized
education, transition program, alternative educational programs and early
intervention program;

(i) | Establish a referral system that shall provide and develop
multidisciplinary services such as healthcare delivery systems and other child
and youth support systems to address the challenges and difficulties of the
families of children and youth with special needs and stimulate community
resources which shall promote and foster systems integration within
education;

() Provide access to auxiliary aids and services that are basically
non-educational but which enhance the education process for children and
youth with special needs. These aids and services may include:

(1) Language and speech therapy, occupational therapy, physical
and physiotherapy, among other modes of therapy, through multi-disciplinary
specialist team;

(2) Quality reading or other effective methods of delivering reading
materials to individuals with visual impairments;

(3) Acquis

(4) Appropriate classroom accommodation;

ion or modification of equipment or devices;

(5) Other similar services and actions or all types of aids and services
that facilitate the learning process; and
(6) Assistance in the transfer or admission of qualified children and

youth with special needs to post-secondary or tertiary education institutions.

ARTICLE IV


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PARTNERSHIP MECHANISM AND ROLES OF PARTNERS

SEC. 7. Partnership Mechanism. - The DepEd and the concerned agencies
may coordinate and enter into cooperative agreement, arrangement or
contract with other government agencies, private non-profit agencies,
institutions or organizations duly accredited or recognized by the government
agencies, civil society, business and industrial sector, and other concerned
sectors in the furtherance of the provisions of this Act: Provided, That the
DepEd shall coordinate with the Department of Health (DOH), Department of
Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Department of Public Works and
Highways (DPWH), Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and the
National Council on Disability Affairs (NCDA) for the establishment or creation
of Centers on the implementation of programs such as the following:

(a) Technical assistance to teachers who are preparing to serve or
are serving in the Centers;

(b) Training of professional or related services personnel, including
all regular teachers;

(©) Replication of successful innovative approaches in providing
educational or related services to children and youth with special needs;

(a) Facilitation of parental involvement in the education of their
children and youth with special needs;

(€) Diagnosis and educational evaluation of children and youth with
special needs;

() Consultative, counseling and training services for the families of
children and youth with special needs;

(g)  Familiarization of the municipality or city being served by an
Inclusive Education Learning Resource Center with the problems and
potentials of children and youth with special needs; and

(h) Entering into agreements with medical and allied medical
professional groups.

Centers created under this Section shall remain part of the DepEd

System.

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SEC. 8. Responsibilities of Agencies. - In conformity with their respective
charters and mandates, government agencies shall define and delineate their
respective areas of responsibility with respect to the implementation of this
Act. These areas shall be subject to periodic re-assessment of the Inter-Agency
Coordinating Council on Inclusive Education (IACCIE), as provided in Section

9 of this Act, whenever necessary.

For purposes of this Act, the different agencies shall have the following

roles:

(a) Department of Education (DepEd) ~ The DepEd shall be the lead
government agency responsible for the implementation of this Act to ensure
inter-agency coordination and integration of services among school systems,
early intervention programs, mainstreaming of children and youth with
special needs in the regular classroom set-up, concerned welfare agencies,
children and youth with special needs availability of access and classification
of developmental domains and establishment of a referral system and redress
mechanisms for parents and guardians.

(b) Department of Health (DOH) - The DOH shall make available
health care services for children and youth with special healthcare needs,
child mental health service providers, health plans, oral health providers,
family-to-family health information and education, advocacy organizations
and other community organizations serving children and youth with special
needs, and their families. Due to the importance of integrating primary care
with mental health services, the DOH shall collaborate with the National
Nutrition Council (NNC) and the Early Childhood Care and Development
(ECCD) Council in the provision of inclusive health and nutrition services for
the implementation of this Act.

(c) Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) ~ The
DSWD shall be responsible for the effective management and provision of
social and welfare services for poor and deserving children and youth with
special needs based on their assessed needs, subject to guidelines it shall

prescribe.

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(4) Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) - The DPWH
shall prescribe the proper physical set-up of the Centers and shall build and
maintain roads that shall ensure accessibility to children and youth with
special needs.

(e) Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) ~ The DILG
shall promulgate the policies and guidelines relevant to the implementation
of this Act by the local government units.

() Local Government Units (LGUs) - The LGUs shall allocate a
portion of their Special Education Fund (SEF) for the following:

(1) _ Provision of sites, buildings or centers where there are no existing
school facilities that may be used for the special education of children and
youth with special needs as well as the establishment of Child Development
Centers (CDCs) pursuant to Section 11 hereof;

(2) Identification, coordination and partnership with public or
private volunteers and private organizations, national or international, duly
recognized and accredited by appropriate government office, for information
dissemination campaigns and funding support to augment the funding for
Inclusive Education programs and activities;

(3) Provide assistive devices, instructional materials and teacher’s
training provisions;

(4) Provision of funds for the delivery of health and nutrition services
and interventions, educational assessment program for children and youth
with special needs in their respective localities that would be initiated by the
DOH and DepEd, respectively;

(5) Participate in all efforts concerning integration of children and
youth with special needs to regular schools, health services, transport
services and other social and welfare services;

(6) Develop government and community awareness and
responsiveness to the needs of children and youth with special needs;

(7) Provide a means for redress in case parents are not amenable to
educational program for children and youth with special needs under the
jurisdiction of the Local School Boards;

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(8) Coordinate with other agencies in ensuring the proper
implementation of the provisions of this Act within their territorial
jurisdiction, including the child find and referral system; and

(9) Enact appropriate ordinances to implement the LGUs role in this
Act.

ARTICLE V
INTER-AGENCY COORDINATING COUNCIL ON INCLUSIVE EDUCATION

SEC. 9. Inter-Agency Coordinating Council on Inclusive Education
(IACCIE). - For purposes of policy integration, harmonization and
coordination of functions, there is hereby created an Inter-Agency
Coordinating Council on Inclusive Education (IACCIE), which shall be
attached to the DepEd and which shall be composed of the following officials
or their duly authorized representatives, up to the level of Assistant Secretary
or its equivalent:

(a) Secretary of the Department of Education (DepEd), as
Chairperson

(b) Secretary of the Department of Health (DOH), as Co-Chairperson;

(©) Secretary of the Department of Social Welfare and Development
(DSWD), as Co-Chairperson;

(4) _ Secretary of the Department of Finance (DOF);

(e) Secretary of the Department of Public Works and Highways
(DPWH);

() Secretary of the Department of Interior and Local Government

(g) Secretary of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE);
(h) Director General of the Technical Education and Skills
Development Authority (TESDA);
() Commissioner of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED).

The IACCIE shall perform the following functions:

(a) Develop and set criteria on Individual Educational Programs. It
shall evaluate fundamental changes both in educational practice and in the

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design of educational services for inclusion of children and youth with special
needs in regular schools. Inclusive Education involves changes in philosophy,
curriculum, teaching strategy and structural organization;

(b) Implement appropriate and coordinated programs in health and
related physiological ang psychological health services, multidisciplinary
domains, transportation and accessibility for children and youth with special
needs;

(c) Act as catalyst of change and source of information for the benefit
or both regular students and children and youth with special needs;

(4) Constitute and authorize a multidisciplinary body to conduct an
annual audit to determine the compliance of the Centers on its operations;

(e) Document, monitor and assess the performances of the Centers
and their personnel; and

() Coordinate and disseminate information with partner agencies or
local government units.

SEC. 10. The IACCIE Technical Working Committee. - The IACCIE shall
be supported by a Technical Working Committee (TWC) which shall be
composed of representatives from the following agencies and institutions:

(a) Bureau of Curriculum Development of the DepEd

(b) Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) Council

() National Council on Disability Affairs (NCDA)

(4) Council for the Welfare of Children (CWC)

(e) National Nutrition Council (NNC) of the DOH

() Local Government Units - Leagues of Provinces, Cities and
Municipalities

(g) Health organizations such as PhilHealth and other healthcare
services of the DOH

(h) Civil society organizations on persons with disability and
indigenous peoples’ concerns

() Academe

The TWC shall provide groundwork technical support to the IACCIE on
its activities to capture varied clientele scope and needs, mainstream

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programs, and reach grassroots levels. Representatives of civil society
organizations and the academe shall be nominated through a process
designed by the IACCIE.

ARTICLE VI
OTHER EDUCATION AND HEALTH INTERVENTIONS

SEC. 11. Inclusion of Children with Special Needs in Child Development
Centers. - Child Development Centers (CDCs) specially designed for pre-
school children and their parents where early identification of disabilities
and/or special needs and introductory educational and intervention
programs will be administered, and development of future multidisciplinary
child development centers shall be established near all schools or within
existing Inclusive Education Learning Resource Centers. As far as practicable,
the use of CSCs and facilities shall be maximized.

The ECCD Council shall coordinate with the DepEd, DSWD, DOH,
LGUz and other agencies to provide the necessary programs and support for
children with special needs under five (5) years old.

ARTICLE VII
ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES

SEC. 12. Hiring of Personnel and Staff. - In addition to teachers and
licensed social workers who have knowledge, skills and special training in
handling cases of children and youth with special needs, and to ensure the
effective implementation of this Act, the DepEd, DOH and DSWD may hire the
necessary personnel and support staff to operate, administer and oversee the
Center.

SEC. 13. Remuneration, Benefits and Incentives for Inclusive Education
Learning Personnel and Staff. - The salary grades of Special Education
(SPED) teachers and Program Directors managing the Centers shall be in
accordance with the Revised Compensation and Position Classification

System and other civil service rules and regulations.

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The DepEd shall enhance the access of teachers/instructors to
specialized and continuing training and education and ensure that the
Centers shall endeavor to attract the best available teaching staff and talents
through adequate remuneration, benefits, scholarship and training grants,
teacher exchange programs, incentives and allowances, and other means of
securing their job satisfaction and tenure in their respective posts. A similar
program shall be designed for support personnel to include interpreters,
psychologists, social workers, and health service professionals/workers
involved in the education, health and rehabilitation of children and youth with
special needs.

The DepEd shall identify at least one (1) leading institution or university
in Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao and in Metro Manila, Metro Cebu and Metro
Davao, whose faculty is considered or regarded as highly competent in the
area of special education and where a uniform or standardized curriculum for
any post-graduate education program shall be designed to benefit SPED
teachers and other personnel of the Centers. The manner of selection of such
institution shall be provided under the rules and regulations to be formulated
to implement the provisions of this Act.

SEC. 14. In-Service Training of Teachers, Administrators, and Non-
Teaching Personnel. - To enhance the inclusive education program, the
DepEd shall coordinated with the appropriate national government agencies
to offer basic and advanced seminars on disability awareness and inclusive
education for the concerned education stakeholders.

The appropriate and necessary trainings, seminars and other
opportunities for upgrading the performance of the DepEd teachers
implementing the inclusive education curriculum shall be conducted and
evaluated by the National Educators’ Academy of the Philippines.

ARTICLE VIII
RESEARCH, SCHOLARSHIPS AND OTHER SUPPORT MECHANISMS

SEC. 15. Continuing Research to Identify the Needs of Children and
Youth With Special Needs. - The DepE4, by itself or in coordination with

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organizations or institutions, shall undertake continuing research to identify
and design programs that shall meet the full range of needs of children and
youth with special needs: Provided, That such continuing research shall also
be used to develop instructional techniques for use by the Centers towards
improving the acquisition of skills by the children and youth with special
needs necessary for their transition to independent living, vocational training
or competitive skill development: Provided, further, That such continuing
research shall be used by the DepEd in designing holistic programs for all
schools and inclusive Education Resource Leaning Centers to enhance the
potential of the children and youth to participate and be integrated into
community life.

SEC. 16. Student Assistance. - The DepEd, DSWD, DOLE, NCDA and the
LGUs shall develop programs to support the financial and educational needs
of the marginalized or disadvantaged children and youth with special needs,
as defined in Republic Act No. 8425, known as the “Social Reform and Poverty
Alleviation Act”. The benefits accorded by Republic Act No. 8545, otherwise
known as the “Government Assistance to Students and Teachers in Private
Education (GASTPE) Act” shall likewise be extended to qualified children and
youth with special needs in the secondary level.

SEC. 17. Recreational and Artistic Opportunities. - The DepEd shall
establish opportunities for the safe, wholesome, interactive individual as well
as group recreation and social activities of children and youth with special
needs, optimal use of their leisure hours and advancement of their physical,
mental, social and cultural development.

SEC. 18. Special Instructional Materials. - Publishers shall grant the
DepEd the authority to transcribe adopted instructional materials into
accessible format, without penalty or payment of royalty, in accordance with
Republic Act No 8293, otherwise known as the “Intellectual Property Code of
the Philippines”: Provided, That publishers of a newly adopter instructional
material shall provide, not later than the second working day after the
adoption of a textbook title by the DepEd, the digital copy as specified by the
DepEd for the purpose of producing accessible versions of the textbooks for

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students with reading disabilities. The accessible versions may be produced
by the DepEd or by non-profit accessible book producers which may be copied
and distributed upon request by a Schools Division for instructional
purposes.

SEC. 19. Family Members, Guardians, Caregivers and Day Care Workers
Education. - A formal training and counseling program for family members,
guardians, caregivers, and day care workers of children and youth with
special needs shall be developed jointly by the DepEd, DSWD, LGUs, ECCD
Council, disabled people’s organizations, parent-support organizations,
health professional organizations, healthcare services, nongovernment
organizations, and civil society organizations to provide them with a working
knowledge of special education and an understanding of the physical and
mental needs of children and youth with special needs; and set their
important role as educators, so as to maximize their knowledge and skills to
fully participate in developing the potentials of children and youth with special
needs.

ARTICLE Ix
PRIVATE SECTOR PARTICIPATION

SEC. 20. Incentives for Private Sector Participation. — Partnerships
between the government and private institutions catering to the needs of
children and youth with special needs shall be encourages. Private entities
which team up with the DepEd or provide the necessary educational
assistance and service of children and youth with special needs enrolled in
public schools shall be entitled to the benefits and incentives provided under
Republic Act No. 8525, otherwise known as the “Adopt-a-School Act” and its
implementing rules and regulations.

ARTICLE X
PUBLIC INFORMATION AND DISSEMINATION

SEC. 21. Public Information, Education and Communication. - A
nationwide information dissemination campaign on the prevention, early

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identification and the strategic intervention programs for children and youth
with special needs shall be intensified. This shall be the joint responsibility of
the Philippine Information Agency (PIA), CSC, NCDA, and the DepEd.
Likewise, the DepEd, in collaboration with the DOH, DOLE, CHED, TESDA
and DILG shall disseminate materials and information concerning effective
practices in working with training and education of children and youth with

special needs.
ARTICLE XI
FINAL PROVISIONS

SEC. 22. Appropriations. - The Secretaries of the DepEd, DOH and DSWD
shall immediately include in their respective Departments’ programs the
implementation of this Act, the funding of which shall be included in the
annual General Appropriations Act.

SEC. 23. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - Within one hundred
twenty (120) days from the effectivity of this Act, the Secretaries of the DepEd,
the DOH and the DSWD, in coordination with the heads of other concerned
agencies, shall promulgate and issue the necessary guidelines for the effective
implementation of this Act. The implementing rules and regulations issued
pursuant to this Section shall take effect thirty (30) days after its publication
in two (2) national newspapers of general circulation.

SEC. 24. Separability Clause. If any provision or part hereof is held invalid
or unconstitutional, the remainder of the law or the provision not otherwise
affected shall remain valid and subsisting.

SEC. 25. Repealing Clause. - All laws, presidential decrees, executive
orders, rules and regulations contrary to or inconsistent with the provisions
of this Act are hereby repealed, modified, or amended accordingly.

SEC. 26. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its
publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.

Approved,

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