Education Secretary Sonny Angara said the Department of Education (DepEd) is strengthening its capacity to support learners with disabilities with the approval of 133 new plantilla positions under Republic Act No. 11650.
The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has given favorable consideration to the creation of the positions to support DepEd’s implementation of the law, which seeks to strengthen inclusive education and provide learners with disabilities access to appropriate support services.
“Sa bilin na rin ni Pangulong Bongbong Marcos, kailangan nating tiyakin na may mga taong may tamang kaalaman at kasanayan na tutulong sa bawat batang may kapansanan upang makapag-aral, makilahok, at umunlad. Ito ang gusto nating palakasin sa pamamagitan ng mga bagong posisyong ito,” Angara said.
Of the 133 positions, 128 will be assigned to 32 Inclusive Learning Resource Centers (ILRCs) under DepEd’s Schools Division Offices. These personnel will form part of the multidisciplinary teams that provide specialized support to learners with disabilities.
The positions include Senior Education Program Specialists (SG-19), Education Program Specialists II (SG-16), Physical Therapist II (SG-15), and Occupational Therapist II (SG-15), with each of the 32 ILRCs receiving four positions.
The remaining five positions will be created under the Bureau of Learning Delivery’s Student Inclusion Division (BLD-SID), which serves as the Secretariat to the Inter-Agency Coordinating Council for Learners with Disabilities.
Under RA 11650, DepEd, in collaboration with local government units, is tasked to establish at least one ILRC in every city and municipality. Existing Special Education Centers are also to be converted into ILRCs under the law.
The law likewise provides for a multi-year roadmap covering the creation of plantilla positions for ILRC personnel and staff, as well as the teaching and non-teaching personnel needed to implement inclusive education programs.
For Angara, building the institutional capacity of DepEd is essential to making inclusive education work on the ground, particularly as schools respond to learners who require specialized educational and developmental support.
“May pangangailangan ang bawat learner na kailangang tugunan. Para sa mga batang may disabilities, mas mahalaga na mayroon tayong multidisciplinary team na hindi lamang nakatuon sa kanilang pagkatuto, kundi pati sa mga suportang kailangan nila upang maging mas aktibo at independent sa paaralan,” Angara said.
The approved positions will be distributed across the country through the 32 ILRCs, covering school divisions in different regions, including areas in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.
The DBM said Notices of Organization, Staffing and Compensation Action (NOSCAs) for the 128 positions in the 32 Schools Division Offices will be issued by the concerned DBM Regional Offices. The five positions under the BLD-SID will likewise be reflected in the corresponding NOSCA.
The creation of the positions marks another step in DepEd’s efforts to build the personnel complement needed to implement RA 11650 and move inclusive education from policy into sustained services for learners and their families.
