HOUSE OF REPRESENTATI
Quezon City

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

House Bill No. ad

Introduced by MAGDALO Party-List Representative
HON. MANUEL DG. CABOCHAN III

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Article XIV, Section 2(1) of the Constitution stipulates that the State shall establish, maintain,
and support a complete, adequate, and integrated system of education relevant to the needs of
the people and society. It is in the public interest to support unique opportunities for high-
achieving and underachieving pupils in the public elementary schools who are identified as
gifted and talented. Special efforts should be made to ensure that economically-disadvantaged
pupils be provided with full participation in these unique opportunities.

However, the country’s school system does not have adequate programs that go beyond
identifying gifted children by nurturing them until they have completed their education. This
bill sceks to improve the quality of existing programs for gifted and talented pupils and create
Jearning centers catering specifically for children and youth with special needs.

In view of the foregoing, approval of this measure is eamestly sought.

Magdalo Para'8a Pilipino Party-List


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REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

House Bill No. 54

Introduced by MAGDALO Party-List Representative
HON. MANUEL DG. CABOCHAN III

AN ACT
INSTITUTING INCLUSIVE EDUCATION, ESTABLISHING INCLUSIVE
EDUCATION LEARNING RESOURCE CENTERS FOR CHILDREN AND YOUTH
WITH SPECIAL NEEDS (CYSNs) IN ALL PUBLIC SCHOOOLS 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:
ARTICLE I
POLICIES AND OBJECTIVES
SECTION 1. Title. — This Act shall be known as the “Inclusive Education for Children and

Youth with Special Needs Act.”.

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;

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 service, civic and State affairs;

c. Give full support for their welfare and development to ensure their full integration to

society;


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|. Consider the special requirements of disabled persons in the formulation of inclusive

educational policies and programs;

. Encourage learning institutions to take into account the special needs of disabled

persons 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 disabled persons, ensure
inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities

for all;

. 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

accessibie to every children and youth with special needs;

. Recognize the right of the children and youth with special needs to the highest

attainable standard of health and to facilities for the treatment of illness; and
rehabilitation of health; and ensure that no child is deprived of the right to access 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 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 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;

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

(®) 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;

(i Provide parents with information and opportunities to actively participate in the
possible school placement options and educational programs for their choice and to

enable them to make informed choices and decisions;


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(i) 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;

(D) 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 II

DEFINITION OF TERMS

SEC. 4. Definition of Terms. - As used in this Act:
@) 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;


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(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 teachers/workers who are under the
jurisdiction of local govemment units (LGUs) can notify parents or
guardians of those who are not receiving public education services of the
right of their children to receive the same and facilitate such children’s
integration into the school system;

(©) Children and youth with special needs — refer to children and
youth who are gifted or talented, with intellectual disabilities, learning
disabilities, mental, emotional or behavicral disorders, speech and
language sensory impairments, autism, long term physical or health
disabilities, deafblindedness 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;

(A) 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)

limit

ion or difficulty encountered by an individual in executing a task or

action; and 3) a participation restriction or problem experienced by an


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individual in involvement in life’s situations. It does not entail a health
problem but shall reflect the interaction between features of a person’s
body and features of society in which he lives as well as the difficulties the
person has encountered to remove the environment and social barriers.
Inclusive education — refers to a process of addressing and responding to
the diverse needs of all learners y 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
achievement og 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 circular and instructional
priorities and contents designed to meet a leamer’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 leamer’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.

Learning Resource Center (Center) — refers to the a teaching/learning

support system for students., teachers school personnel and other


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(h)

@

education stakeholders of children and youth with special needs. It
includes appropriate, accessible, disability-, cultural- and gender-sensitive
instructional learning material, tools, devices, gadgets, equipment to
facilitate and enhance learning; assessment tools and instruments to
evaluate development domains and specific areas of concern necessary in
determining appropriate services and placement decisions; medical, health
and allied professionals for care, rehabilitations and development of
learners.

Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) — refers to the situation where a
leamer, who has disability, is accorded the opportunity to be educated with
non-disables 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
place in a setting with non-disabled peers, and shall receive an appropriate
version of education and social benefits which non-disabled students
inl ecienlasied,

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.


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&y)

0)

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 instructions on physical and vocational
education, social skills development and travel training. It is geared
towards their integration into mainstream education and to prepare then as
independent and functioning members of society.

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 — refers to a scientifically valid framework
for guiding educational practice established by Department of Education

(DepE¢) 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

(@) 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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() 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 lears.

ARTICLE IIL

iCLUSIVE 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 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:


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(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;

(c) Conduct school-based training of children and youth with special needs;

(4) Produce appropriate teaching materials for children and youth with special needs;

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

(f) 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 education programs and early intervention program;

(i) 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: J
(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 visu:

impairments;
(3) acquisition or modification of equipment or devices;

(4) appropriate classroom accommodation;

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

special needs to post-secondary or tertiary education institutions.

ARTICLE IV

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 and 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: i
(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;
(c) Replication of successful innovative approaches in providing educational or

related services to CYSNs;

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(@) 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 th problems and potentials of children and youth;
and

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

Centers created under this Section shall remain part of the DepEd System.

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 shali be subject to
periodic re-assessment of the Inter-Agency Coordinating Council on Inclusive Education
(IACCIE), as provided in Sec.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, concemed welfare agencies, children and youth with special

needs availability of access and classification of developmental domains and
establishment of a referral system and redress mechanism for parent and

guardians.

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(b) Department of Health (DOH) ~ The DOH shall make available health care
services for children and youth with special 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 Developmental Council (ECCD) 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.

(a) 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 Jingiheamnisticn of this Act
by the local government units.

(f) 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 Sec. 11 hereof,

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(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 acti

ies;

(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;

(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.
‘apprope ip

ARTICLE V

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INTER-AGENCY COORDINATING CONUNCIL 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 composed of the following officials of their duly authorized representatives, up to the level
of Assistant Secretary or its equivalent:

* Secretary of the DepEd, as Chairperson;

© Secretary of DOH as Co-Chairperson;

© Secretary of DSWD as Co-Chairperson;

© Secretary of Department of Finance (DOF)

© Secretary of DPWH

© Secretary of DILG

© Secretary of Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE)

¢ Director General of Technical Education and Skills Development Administration

(TESDA)

* Commissioner of Commission on Higher Education (CHED)
The IACCIE shall perform the following functions:

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

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

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

(@) 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 performance of the Centers and their personnel;

() 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:

(@) Bureau of Curriculum Development of the DepEd

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

(©) National Council on Disability Affairs (NCDA)

() Council for the Welfare of Children (CWC)

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

(f) Local Government Units — Leagues of Provinces, Cities or Municipalities

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

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

concerns

() Academe

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The TWC shall provide groundwork technical support to the IACCIE on its
activities to capture varied clientele scope and needs, mainstream programs, and
reach grassroots level. 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 multi-disciplinary
child development centers shall be established near all schools or within existing inclusive
Education Learning Resource Centers. As far as practicable, the use of CDCs and facilities

shall be maximized.

The ECCD Council shall coordinate with the DepEd, DSWD, DOH, LGUs and other
agencies to provide the necessary programs and support for children with special needs under

five (5) years old.

ARTICLE Vi
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

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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.

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
the 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 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 center. The manner of selection of such institution
shall be provide under the rules and regulations to be formulated to implement the provisions

of this Act.

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SEC. 14, In-Service Training of Teachers, Administrators, Non-Teaching Personnel. - To
enhance the inclusive education program, the DepEd shall coordinate 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 DepEd teachers implementing the inclusive education curriculum shall be

conducted and evaluated by the National Educators’ Academy of the Philippines.

ARTICLE VII

RESEARCH, SCHOLARSHIPS AND OTHER SUPPORT MECHANISMS

SEC. 15. Continuing Research to Identify the Needs of Children and Youth wth Special
Needs. — The DepEd, by itself or in coordination with organizations or institution, 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 Dep Ed in designing
holistic programs for all schools and Inclusive Education Resource Learning 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

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disadvantaged children and youth with special needs, as defines in Republic Act No. 8425,
known as the Social Reform and Poverty Alleviation Act. The benefits accorded by republic
‘Act No. 8425, 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 levels.

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 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 adopted 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 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.

Copies of these instructional materials shall be furnished without cost either to the children

and youth with special needs or their teachers in charge.

SEC. 19. Family Members, Guardians, Caregivers and Day Care Workers Education. — A

formal training and counseling program for family members, guardians, caregivers and day

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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, non-government
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 to Private Sector Participation. — Partnership between the government
and private institutions catering to the needs of children and youth with special needs shall be
encouraged. 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 RA 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 prevention, early identification and intervention programs for

children with special needs shall be intensified. This shall be the joint responsibility of the

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Philippine Information Agency (PIA), CWC 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 concemed agencies, shall promulgate and issue the
necessary guidelines for the effective implementation of this Act. The implementing rules
and regulations issues pursuant to this section shall take effect thirty (30) days after

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.

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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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