Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
FIFTEENTH CONGRESS 
Third Regular Session 
,-, 4 0 1:; 
House Bill No. _ _ u_ ,_J_u_ 
Introduced by Representatives 
DIOSDADO MACAPAGAL ARROYO and GLORIA MACAPAGAL ARROYO 
AN ACT 
PROVIDING FOR THE CREATION OF MUNICIPAL SPECIAL EDUCATION 
CENTERS FOR DEAF-MUTE AND BLIND CHILDREN APPROPRIATING 
FUNDS THEREFOR, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
In DECS Order No. 117, series of 1987, under Policies and Guidelines 
governing Special Education, it categorized and identified those persons who 
suffer sensory impairment as special education clientele. Therefore, children 
who are deaf-mute and blind fall under such category. 
This bill proposes to 
concretize the constitutional mandate that the State shall "promote the right of all 
citizens to quality education ... and to make such education accessible to all." 
As compared to normal children, deaf-mute and blind children have 
different and special needs which require careful attention and care. In the early 
90's, the Congressional Commission on Education or EDCOM had already 
reported the inadequacy of programs and the poor access to special education 
(SPED) due to the limited number of special schools and SPED centers in the 
country. 
In view of the foregoing, this bill is timely and important as it seeks to 
address the problem of limited SPED facilities by establishing Municipal Special 
Education Centers for deaf-mute and blind children. This is to ensure the ease of 
accessibility for such children to SPED facilities in every municipality throughout 
the country. 


It is our fervent hope that our colleagues will ensure the speedy passage 
of this bill into law given its far-reaching impact. 
DIOSOAOO mGAL ARROYO 
Second District, Camarines Sur 
GL-~. ~CAPAGALARROYO 
~~istrict. Pampanga 
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Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
FIFTEENTH CONGRESS 
Third Regular Session 
House Bill No. 
Introduced by !Representatives 
DIOSDADO MACAPAGAL ARROYO and GLORIA MACAPAGAL ARROYO 
AN ACT 
PROVIDING FOR THE CREATION OF MUNICIPAL SPECIAL EDUCATION 
CENTERS FOR DEAF-MUTE AND BLIND CHILDREN APPROPRIATING 
FUNDS THEREFOR, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES 
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the 
Philippines in Congress Assembled: 
SECTION 1. Declaration of Policy - It is hereby declared the policy of the 
State to establish, maintain and support Municipal Special Education Centers 
(hereafter referred to as "Centers") for deaf-mute and blind children in 
consonance with the Constitutional mandate for "the State [to] take appropriate 
steps to make education accessible to all." 
SECTION 2. Municipal Special Education Centers: Creation and Purpose. 
-There shall be created in every municipality throughout the country Municipal 
Special Education Centers which shall assist the Department of DepEd in: 
(a) Providing deaf-mute and blind children special quality education and 
related services as well as vocational and transitional services; and 
(b) Providing deaf-mute and blind children currently in school or who 
recently left school programs and services to assist them in the transition 
to independent living, vocational training, and competitive employment. 


SECTION 3. Authority of the Secretary of Education to Give Grants to, or 
Enter into Cooperative Arrangements for the Creation of Municipal Special 
Education Center. - The Secretary of OepEd is hereby authorized to give grants 
to, or enter into cooperative arrangements or contracts with public or private non 
profit agencies, institutions, or organizations for the establishment or creation of 
Municipal Special Education Centers for deaf-mute and blind children and youth; 
Provided, that a grant made pursuant to this section may be made only for the 
following or similar programs: 
(a) Technical assistance to Centers providing educational services to 
deaf-mute and blind children: 
(b) Pre-service or in-service tra1n1ng of professionals or related services 
personnel preparing to serve or serving deaf-mute and blind children; 
(c) Replication of successful innovative approaches to providing 
educational or related services to deaf-mute and blind children: 
(d) Facilitation of parental involvement in the education of their deaf-mute 
and blind children: 
(e) Diagnosis and educational evaluation of deaf-mute and blind children 
at risk of being certified deaf-mute and blind; 
(f) Consultative, counseling and training services for the families of deaf 
mute and blind children; and 
(g) Familiarization of the municipality to be served by a Center with the 
problems and potentialities of such children. 
SECTION 4. Provision for Continuing Research to Identify Special Needs 
of Deaf-Mute and Blind Children. -
The Special Education Division of the 
Department of Education (DepEd), by itself or in association with such 
organizations or institutions as are determined by the Secretary of DepEd to be 
appropriate, shall undertake continuing research to identify and design programs 
that meet the full range of special needs of deaf-mute and blind children: 
Provided, that such continuing research shall also be used to develop 
instructional techniques for use by the Centers that will improve deaf-mute and 
blind children's acquisition of the skills necessary for transition to independent 
living, vocational training, or competitive employment; Provided, finally, that such 
continuing research shall further be used to design physical education and 
therapeutic recreation program for use by the Centers to increase the potential of 
deaf-mute and blind children for community participation. 
SECTION 5. Provision for Training of Personnel. - The DepEd shall 
develop special education courses for adoption and implementation by 
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accredited institutions of higher education and universities; Provided, that such 
courses shall include subjects on: (a) special education, and adaptive physical 
education; (b) special education supervision and administration; and (c) special 
education research; Provided, finally, that the Secretary of the DepEd may make 
grants, which may include scholarships with necessary stipends and allowances, 
to institutions of higher education and/or universities which already offer such or 
similar courses. 
SECTION 6. Annual Report to the Secretary of DepEd; Examination of 
Numbers and Services and Revision of Numbers; Annual Report to Congress; 
and Summary of Data. -
(a) Centers established, created or supported under the Act as well as 
public or nonprofit private agencies or organizations which are recipients 
of a grant shall report annually to the Secretary of the DepEd on: (1) the 
number of recipients, by age, severity, and nature of deaf-muteness and 
blindness; (2) the number of professionals and family members directly 
served by, or serving in, each Center; and (3) the types of serv1ces 
provided; 
(b) The Secretary of the DepEd shall examine the number of deaf-mute 
and blind children and youth so reported and, together with the Secretary 
of the Department of Health, shall create and annually revise a Deaf-Mute 
and Blind Children National Registry;·and 
(c) The Secretary of the DepEd shall summarize the data for submission 
in its annual report to the Congress. 
SECTION 7. Dissemination of Materials and Information Concerning 
Working Practices with Deaf-Mute and Blind Children. - The Secretary of the 
DepEd, in collaboration with the Secretary of Health and Secretary of Labor and 
Employment, shall disseminate materials and information concerning effective 
practices in working with, training, and educating deaf-mute and blind children. 
SECTION 8. Deaf-Mute and Blind Children Defined. - For purposes of this 
Act, the term "deaf-mute and blind children" shall include the hearing, speech, 
and eyesight impaired children from birth to eighteen years of age. 
SECTION 9. Implementing Guideline for the Establishment of Municipal 
Special Education Centers. -The DepEd in collaboration with the Department of 
Health and the Department of Public Works and Highways, shall promulgate and 
issue the necessary implementing guidelines for the creation and operation of 
Municipal Special Education Centers within sixty (60) days after the effectivity of 
this Act. 
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SECTION 10. Fund for the Establishment and Initial Operation of the 
Centers. -
Such sum as may be necessary is hereby authorized to be 
appropriated from the National Treasury. Thereafter, the sums necessary for the 
continuous operation of the Centers shall be included in the annual 
appropriations of the DepEd. 
SECTION 11. Separability Clause. -
If any provision, or part hereof. is 
held invalid or unconstitutional, the remainder of the law or the provision shall 
remain valid and subsisting. 
SECTION 12. Repealing Claus.e. -
Any law, presidential decree or 
issuance, executive order, letter of instruction, administrative order, rule or 
regulation contrary to or inconsistent with, the provision of this Act is hereby 
repealed, modified or amended accordingly. 
SECTION 13. Effectivity Clause - This Act shall take effect fifteen (1 5} 
days after its publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
Approved, 
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