DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

The Department of Education is mandated to protect and promote the fundamental right
of every Filipino to quality basic education to facilitate the realization of his or her full
potential and later on, meaningfully take part in nation-building. This is the main thrust of
the K to 12 Basic Education Program, which recognizes the diversity of the country’s
learners, schools, and communities. The program has broadened the goals of basic
education in response to the varied realities of learners and their families by providing a
wider range of opportunities, not only in preparing them for higher education, but also for
employment and entrepreneurship. It further promotes the implementation of programs
that address the various physical, intellectual, psychosocial, and cultural needs of
learners in diverse contexts.

The implementation of inclusive education under the K to 12 program is in accordance

with the following laws:

1. The Open High School System Act of 2015 (Republic Act No. 10665) declares that
it is the policy of the State to broaden access to relevant quality education through
employment of an alternative secondary education program to overcome personal,
geographical, socio-economic, and physical constraints;

2. The Domestic Workers Act of 2013 (Republic Act No. 10361) guarantees that
kasambahays are afforded the opportunity to finish basic education through the
alternative learning system;

3. The Enhance Basic Education Act of 2012 (Republic Act No. 10533) and its IRR
(DepEd Order No. 43, s. 2013) provides that inclusiveness in enhanced basic
education shall be addressed through the implementation of programs designed
to address the physical, intellectual, psycho-social, and cultural needs of learners,
which shall include, but shall not be limited to, programs for learners with
disabilities, learners under difficult circumstances, Madrasah, Indigenous Peoples
Education and for the gifted and talented;

4. The Kindergarten Education Act of 2012 (Republic Act No. 10157) provides that it
is the policy of the State to provide equal opportunities for all children to avail of
accessible mandatory and compulsory kindergarten education that effectively
promotes physical, social, intellectual, emotional, and skills stimulation and values
formation to sufficiently prepare them for formal elementary schooling;

5. The Governance of Basic Education Act of 2001 (Republic Act No. 9155) provides
for the establishment of the Alternative Learning System (ALS) to provide out-of-
school youth and adults with basic education;

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 6. The Indigenous Peoples Rights Act of 1997 (Republic Act No. 8371) mandates the
State to provide equal access to various cultural opportunities to Indigenous
Cultural Communities (ICCs) or IPs through the education system without
prejudice to their rights to establish and control their educational systems and
institutions by providing education in their own language, and in a manner
appropriate to their cultural methods of teaching and learning; and

7. The Magna Carta for Disabled Persons (Republic Act No. 9442) provides that the
State shall provide educational assistance to persons with disabilities to enable
them to pursue primary, secondary, and tertiary education, as well as vocational
or technical education, in both public and private schools.

The principle of inclusion in education promotes institutional sensitivity and

responsiveness to the nature, situation, and realities of our country’s learners and directs
the Department to proactively address these through the curriculum and other relevant
interventions.

The institutionalization of inclusive education is articulated in the strategic direction of the

Department under the present administration. Every school should serve as a “one-stop
shop” that can provide educational interventions or programs to diverse learners. Further,
policy support for the implementation of its programs are in place to ensure provision of
appropriate resources. Continuous human resource development programs and activities
are also implemented to ensure the readiness and awareness of all teaching and non-
teaching personnel in relation to inclusive education.

Relevant numbers in relation to learners with disabilities:

Total No. of SPED Centers and regular 648 (471 for elementary, 177 for high school)
schools offering SPED Programs
(as of February 2017)

No. of SPED SY 2012- SY 2013- SY 2014- SY 2015- SY 2016- SY 2017-

Teachers (I- 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018
IV)
Elementary 1,825 2,022 1,971 2,266 2,601 3,050
High School 264 289 562 305 284 355

Number of Enrollees (SY 2016-2017)

a. Visual Impairment with Diagnosis

Elementary Secondary Total
Male Female Male Female
Graded 2,097 1,927 5,554 7,985 17,563
Non-Graded 929 754 109 180 1,972

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b. Hearing Impairment with Diagnosis
Elementary Secondary Total
Male Female Male Female
Graded 1,867 1,702 2,046 1,849 7,464
Non-Graded 3,040 2,696 88 77 5,901

c. Learning Disability with Diagnosis

Elementary Secondary Total
Male Female Male Female
Graded 3,211 1,638 2,536 1,348 8,733
Non-Graded 1,845 1,107 43 33 3,028

d. Intellectual Disability with Diagnosis

Elementary Secondary Total
Male Female Male Female
Graded 2,379 1,484 934 558 5,355
Non-Graded 9,434 7,080 184 147 16,845

e. Autism Spectrum Disorder with Diagnosis

Elementary Secondary Total
Male Female Male Female
Graded 1,514 429 480 136 2,559
Non-Graded 4,977 1,329 81 18 6,405

f. Emotional-Behavioral Disorder with Diagnosis

Elementary Secondary Total
Male Female Male Female
Graded 1,310 315 1,412 600 3,637
Non-Graded 460 163 35 20 678

g. Orthopedic/Physical Handicap with Diagnosis

Elementary Secondary Total
Male Female Male Female
Graded 887 500 1,141 719 3,247
Non-Graded 161 99 20 18 298

h. Speech/Language Disorder with Diagnosis

Elementary Secondary Total
Male Female Male Female
Graded 1,887 1,282 1,527 1,118 7,701
Non-Graded 447 245 40 22 754

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i. Cerebral Palsy with Diagnosis
Elementary Secondary Total
Male Female Male Female
Graded 293 242 175 155 865
Non-Graded 798 583 19 17 1,417

j. Special Health Problem/Chronic Illness with Diagnosis

Elementary Secondary Total
Male Female Male Female
Graded 589 491 2,542 4,117 7,739
Non-Graded 168 134 90 167 559

k. Multiple Disabilities with Diagnosis

Elementary Secondary Total
Male Female Male Female
Graded 205 149 201 185 740
Non-Graded 667 447 13 14 1,141

l. Gifted and Talented

Male Female Total
Elementary 30,468 43,878 74,346

m. Difficulty seeing based on manifestation

Elementary Secondary Total
Male Female Male Female
Graded 2,652 2,313 12,370 18,281 35,616
Non-Graded 133 121 258 478 990

n. Difficulty hearing based on manifestation

Elementary Secondary Total
Male Female Male Female
Graded 917 608 3,050 2,715 7,290
Non-Graded 329 286 106 64 785

o. Difficulty walking, climbing, and grasping based on manifestation

Elementary Secondary Total
Male Female Male Female
Graded 897 607 1,450 1,187 4,141
Non-Graded 147 115 46 33 341

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 p. Difficulty remembering, concentrating, paying attention and understanding based
on manifestation
Elementary Secondary Total
Male Female Male Female
Graded 12,740 7,155 23,788 16,560 60,243
Non-Graded 1,619 1,048 816 612 4,095

q. Difficulty communicating based on manifestation

Elementary Secondary Total
Male Female Male Female
Graded 2,593 1,679 4,428 3,114 11,814
Non-Graded 398 215 123 71 807

The following are the programs of the Department that implement inclusive education for
learners with disabilities:

1. DepEd Order No. 26, s. 1997, “Institutionalization of SPED Programs in All

Schools”, issued on March 7, 1997, provides for the guidelines for the nationwide
implementation of the Special Education Program, of which learners with
disabilities are one of its target population. It requires the following:
a. All divisions shall organize at least one SPED Center which shall cater to
children with special needs;
b. All districts shall organize SPED programs in schools where there are identified
children with special needs;
c. Training on SPED for teachers and administrators; and
d. Annual allocations for extension positions shall be provided for SPED teachers.

2. DepEd Order No. 72, s. 2009, “Inclusive Education As Strategy for Increasing
Participation Rate of Children”, issued on July 6, 2009 guarantees the right for
these children to receive appropriate education within the regular or inclusive
classroom setting. Inclusive education embraces the philosophy of accepting all
children regardless of race, size, shape, color, ability, or disability with support from
school staff, students, parents and the community.

3. DepEd Order No. 50, s. 2010, “Strengthening Special Education Program at the
Basic Education Level”, issued on May 17, 2010, requires schools division offices
to maintain reports on the number of SPED classes organized and the
corresponding enrolment for each class listed according to exceptionality, as well
as the number of SPED students mainstreamed in the regular classes for the last
three years. This information shall serve as basis for financial assistance extended
to the schools.

4. DepEd Order No. 58, s. 2010, “Implementing Guidelines for Alternative Learning
System (ALS) Programs”, issued on May 17, 2010, provides for the guidelines on
financial assistance to regions, divisions, and schools implementing the ALS
program.

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5. DepEd Order No. 77, s. 2011, “Moving the Disability Agenda Forward”, issued on
October 5, 2011, provides for the establishment of the Advisory Council for the
Education of Children and Youth with Disabilities (ACECYD).

6. DepEd Order No. 54, s. 2012, “Policy Guidelines on the Implementation of

Alternative Delivery Modes (ADMs)”, issued on June 15, 2012, provides for
guidelines for the effective management and implementation of Alternative
Delivery Modes (ADMs), which aim to primarily address the problems of school
congestion and other situations, as well as circumstances which prevent children
from going to and staying in school. Some of the ADMs being offered are the
following:

a. Enhanced Instructional Management by Parents, Community and Teachers (e-

IMPACT) - This approach utilizes the services of parents, community members
including the pupils themselves in managing teaching and learning. It has been
proven effective in harnessing the leadership potential of pupils;
b. Modified In-School Off-School Approach (MISOSA). MISOSA is an alternative
delivery mode of education which serves children under difficult circumstances
through community partnership; and
c. Open High School Program (OHSP). The OHSP is an alternative mode of
secondary education that uses distance learning.

7. DepEd Order No. 58, s. 2012, “Revised Implementing Guidelines on the Provision
of Teaching Aid and Transportation Allowances to ALS Mobile Teachers and
District Alternative Learning System Coordinators (DALSCs)”, issued on June 15,
2012, provides for the allocation of Teaching Aid and Transportation Allowances
to ALS Mobile Teachers and District Alternative Learning System Coordinators and
for its standardized disbursement and utilization of funds.

8. DepEd Order No. 59, s. 2012, “Revised Implementing Guidelines on the Selection
and Hiring of Alternative Learning System (ALS) Literacy Volunteers”, issued on
June 15, 2012, revises DepEd Memorandum No. 369, s. 2009, and provides for a
new set of standards and procedures in the selection and hiring of ALS Literacy
Volunteers.

9. DepEd Order No. 77, s. 2012, “Amended Guidelines for the Alternative Learning
System (ALS) Unified Contracting Scheme”, issued on September 28, 2012,
amends previous guidelines in the ALS Unified Contracting Scheme, specifically
on the contract amount for service providers, qualifications required of literacy
facilitators/instructional managers (IMs) hired by service providers, and
requirements for the submission of additional forms and reports.

10. DepEd Order No. 46, s. 2014, “Guidelines on the Implementation of the Alternative
Learning System for Persons with Disability (ALS for PWD) Program”, issued on
November 24, 2014, revives the previous implementation of ALS for PWD
Program. It is designed to reach both the hearing and visually impaired learners

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 and provide them with appropriate learning interventions through the ALS Basic
Literacy Program (BLP) and the Accreditation and Equivalency Program (A&E).

11. DepEd Order No. 38, s. 2015, “Guidelines on the Utilization of Support Funds for
the Special Education (SPED) Program”, issued on August 19, 2015, augments
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.

12. DepEd Order No. 46, s. 2017, “Framework for the Pilot Implementation of the
Alternative Learning System-Education and Skills Training”, issued on August 15,
2017, provides for the pilot implementation of the Alternative Learning System-
Education and Skills Training (ALS-EST) in SY 2017-2018, to produce completers
who are not only able to catch-up with basic academic education, but have also
acquired technical competencies suitable for immediate employment.

13. DepEd Order No. 58, s. 2017, “Adoption of New School Forms for Kindergarten,
Senior High School, Alternative Learning System, Health and Nutrition and
Standardization of Permanent Records”, issued on November 27, 2017, provides
for the adoption of additional forms for schools and the Alternative Learning
System.

14. DepEd Order No. 63, s. 2017, “Implementing Guidelines on the Utilization of
Support to Operations Fund for Regional Offices for Mapping and Monitoring
Activities of the Alternative Learning System for Calendar Year 2017”, issued on
December 12, 2017, provides guidelines to facilitate and standardize utilization of
funds relating to the Alternative Learning System for Calendar Year 2017.

15. The School Health Division of the Bureau of Learner Support Services is mandated
to safeguard the health and nutritional well-being of the total population of our
learners. The concepts of integrating the thrusts, programs, and activities in school
health necessitated the development of the following comprehensive and
integrated School Health Services:

a. Nutrition Program
The School-Based Feeding Program (SBFP) aims to contribute to the
improvement of classroom attendance and school performance of target
beneficiaries to more than 85% per year, and encourage learners to go to
school every day. It covers all undernourished learners from kindergarten
to Grade 6. It provides feeding to learners, prioritizing the Severely Wasted
(SW) and Wasted (W), and all kinder in selected Philippine Plan of Action
for Nutrition (PPAN) areas. It aims to improve the nutritional status of the
SW/W and all kinder in PPAN areas at the end of 120 feeding days and
ensure 100% deworming of target beneficiaries prior to the feeding activity.
It also aims to promote healthy and nutrition information and awareness
among target beneficiaries through the K to 12 curriculum.

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 b. School Health Nursing Program
The program aims to provide quality nursing services and education to
develop the child physically, mentally, socially, and spirituality healthy to
become a productive, self-reliant, and responsible member of the society. It
also aims to provide preventive and remedial measures for simple and
common ailments among the school population and detect early signs and
symptoms of illness/disabilities and deviation from the normal. It also
creates awareness among school children, and personnel on the
importance of health and safety.
c. Medical Health Program
This program promotes and maintain the health and nutritional status of the
school population and community through the provision of effective medical
services and health education.
d. Dental Health Program
This program provides and promotes maintaining good oral health of the
school population through the prevention and control of dental diseases.

The Department is currently developing a policy on the Inclusive Education framework

that will provide over-all guidance in the establishment, implementation, monitoring, and
evaluation of programs and interventions. It operationalizes the principles of inclusion –
the recognition of the diverse context of learners, schools, and communities within
education program design – which is the core to the Enhanced Basic Education Program.
In doing so, it provides these programs and interventions with strategies and support
mechanisms that adequately respond to diverse educational needs and contexts of
learners. The policy adheres to responsiveness to rights, sensitivity and responsiveness
to context, and, inclusion as its guiding principles in pursuing inclusive education.

*Please see “Annex 1: List of Research Studies on DepEd Inclusive Education Programs”
for researches on the socioeconomic and cultural benefits of the right to inclusive
education, in line with Article 24 of the Convention and the Committee’s general comment
No. 4 (2016) on the right to inclusive education

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