MANILA, Philippines — Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian is urging the Department of Education (DepEd) to accelerate the hiring and deployment of specialists who will provide critical support to learners with disabilities, saying newly approved positions should be filled without unnecessary delays.
The call comes after the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) approved 133 new plantilla positions for DepEd to strengthen the implementation of the country’s inclusive education program.
The move is part of the government’s continuing implementation of Republic Act No. 11650, or the Instituting a Policy of Inclusion and Services for Learners with Disabilities in Support of Inclusive Education Act. The law provides for a stronger support system for learners with disabilities, including the establishment of Inclusive Learning Resource Centers (ILRCs).
133 positions approved
According to DepEd-related reports, 128 of the 133 positions will be assigned to 32 ILRCs operating under DepEd Schools Division Offices.
The positions include:
- Senior Education Program Specialists — Salary Grade 19
- Education Program Specialists II — Salary Grade 16
- Physical Therapist II — Salary Grade 15
- Occupational Therapist II — Salary Grade 15
Each of the 32 ILRCs will receive four positions, forming part of multidisciplinary teams that will provide specialized assistance to learners with disabilities.
The remaining five positions will be created under DepEd’s Bureau of Learning Delivery–Student Inclusion Division, which serves as the secretariat of the Inter-Agency Coordinating Council for Learners with Disabilities.
Why Gatchalian wants the hiring accelerated
Gatchalian said the creation of the positions is an important step, but stressed that the benefit will only reach students once qualified personnel are actually hired and deployed.
The senator has long pushed for stronger implementation of RA 11650, particularly the need for specialists and therapists who can help identify learners with disabilities and determine the support they need.
Earlier discussions on the implementation of the law highlighted the shortage of specialists in the country. The Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2), for example, reported that there were only 99 developmental pediatricians nationwide at the time of its assessment, underscoring the difficulty of providing specialized services at scale.
For Gatchalian, filling the newly approved positions quickly is therefore crucial to ensuring that the government’s inclusive education policy moves beyond staffing approvals and into actual services for children.
What RA 11650 requires
RA 11650, approved on March 11, 2022, seeks to institutionalize inclusive education and establish ILRCs for learners with disabilities. The law envisions these centers as hubs for educational, developmental, medical and allied services.
The law defines inclusive education as an approach that responds to the diverse needs of learners through appropriate accommodations, modifications, adaptations and individualized support.
It also provides for services that can include psychological services, physical and occupational therapy, speech-language services, medical services, orientation and mobility assistance, social services and school health services, depending on the needs of the learner.
The implementing rules and regulations for RA 11650 were issued in July 2024, providing the framework for putting the law into practice.
The bigger challenge: reaching every community
The latest hiring initiative is significant, but it is only one part of a much larger implementation challenge.
RA 11650 calls for at least one ILRC in every city and municipality, while existing Special Education Centers are intended to transition into ILRCs. The law also calls for a multi-year roadmap covering personnel, programs, services, funding and implementation targets.
The 32 ILRCs receiving personnel under the latest staffing approval therefore represent an important expansion, but they do not yet constitute the nationwide network envisioned by the law.
Data presented by Gatchalian in a 2024 Senate hearing also showed a troubling enrollment gap. DepEd recorded 351,147 learners with disabilities enrolled in school year 2019–2020, but the figure fell to 323,344 in 2023–2024. Gatchalian said the decline highlighted the need to strengthen systems that identify, reach and support learners with disabilities.
From positions to real support
The newly approved plantilla positions could help address a critical weakness in inclusive education: having trained professionals available to support teachers, students and families.
Education Secretary Sonny Angara previously emphasized that learners with disabilities need multidisciplinary support—not only assistance with classroom learning, but also services that can help them participate more fully and independently in school.
DepEd has described the new positions as part of its effort to build institutional capacity for inclusive education, with the specialists forming multidisciplinary teams in the ILRCs.
The challenge now is implementation.
For families of learners with disabilities, the significance of the 133 positions will ultimately depend not on how many positions are approved on paper, but on how quickly qualified specialists are recruited, where they are deployed and whether students can actually access the services they need.
Gatchalian’s latest appeal puts the spotlight on that next step: turning approved plantilla positions into professionals on the ground—and ensuring that no learner with a disability is left waiting for support.
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