THE PHILIPPINESTHE PHILIPPINESPhillipines).pdf · the Batas Pambansa Bilang 232, Philippine Action Plan (1990-2000) in Support for EFA, Child and Youth Welfare Code. THE PHILIPPINESTHE

THE PHILIPPINESTHE PHILIPPINESTHE PHILIPPINES


Background

The Philippines has 300,000 square square kilometers with 85,236,913 population. Life expectancy is 69.91 years, females have longer life expectancy than males, 72.28 years and 66.44 years, respectively. Infant mortality rate is 23.51 (deaths/1000 live births) while maternal mortality is only 10% in the Philippines out of the 120/100,000 live births for West Pacific. Elementary and Secondary is the only compulsory education but the country’s literacy rate is 92.5%. The country’s unemployment is 10.1%.

Philippines has several laws on Persons with Intellectual Disabilities to name a few are: Philippine Constitution, Republic Act of 7277 or the Magna Carta for Disable Persons; Education Act of 1982 or the Batas Pambansa Bilang 232, Philippine Action Plan (1990-2000) in Support for EFA, Child and Youth Welfare Code.


In terms of financial assistance for Persons with Intellectual Disabilities, the Landbank of the Philippines and other banks provide loans to anybody regardless of sex, age, status or color. The bank as an example does not discriminate anybody, this signifies that even Persons with Intellectual Disabilities could avail of this financial assistance for as long as they could meet the requirements.

BREAKING BARRIERS FOR CHILDREN PROJECT

BREAKING BARRIERS FOR CHILDREN

Background

Breaking Barriers Philippines, the forerunner of Breaking Barriers for Children Project (BBC), was launched in November 1995. BBC is the result of a meeting between the representatives of the Katipunan ng May Kapansanan sa Pilipinas (KAMPI) and the Danish Society of Polio and Accident Victims (PTU) that took place in Denmark. A mutual cooperation/understanding led to the establishment of centers that provides rehabilitation and therapy of poor children with disabilities with age 0-14. Five Stimulation and Therapeutic Activity Centers (STAC), the rehabilitation venue as it was called, were put up in Iloilo, Quezon City, Cagayan De oro, Tuguegarao and Baguio City.

BREAKING BARRIERS FOR CHILDREN

Vision

BBC is envisioned to mainstream and socially integrate children with disabilities in the community for them to become productive and contributing members of the country.

Strategy/Activity

BBC-STAC provides free physical/occupational therapy, social activities and special education as well as inclusive education.

BBC PROGRAMS & SERVICES

I. PHYSICAL COMPONENT

II. OCCUPATIONAL COMPONENT

III. SOCIAL COMPONENT

IV. SPECIAL EDUCATION COMPONENT

V. OTHER PROGRAMS AND SERVICES

PHYSICAL COMPONENT

Physical Therapy

PHYSICAL COMPONENT

BHW Training

PHYSICAL COMPONENT

Physiatrist Evaluation

Hydrotherapy

OCCUPATIONAL COMPONENT

Occupational Therapy

SOCIAL COMPONENT

Home Visit Parents’ Counseling

Referral to Specialist Parents’ Meeting

SOCIAL COMPONENT

PA National Training

Resource Mobilization/Leadership/Capacity Building

SOCIAL COMPONENT

Fund Raising Activity

Parents’ Socialization

SOCIAL COMPONENT

Children’s Socialization

SPECIAL EDUCATION COMPONENT

SPED COORDINATOR: DUTIES

SPED Session


School Visitation


Consolacion ES Bolaoen ES

Palina East Elementary School


Home Visitation


Home Intervention Program

Informal Training


Coordination to DepEd

Coordination to MSWDO


Teachers’ Training


Daycare Workers’ Training

SPECIAL EDUCATION COMPONENTSPED ACTIVITIES

Children’s Month

Book Month Celebration


Linggo ng Wika

OTHER PROGRAMS & SERVICESProvisions of Vitamins

Supplemental Feeding

OTHER PROGRAMS & SERVICES

Medical-Dental Mission


Parents’ Training Program


NDPR Celebration


Gift Giving During Christmas

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM WHICH INCLUDE INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY

ISSUE AS ONE OF THE ACTIVITIES

Outline of the Program

The Special Education Component of the Breaking Barriers for Children Project is a program that caters to different disabilities such as intellectual disabilities (IDs). The SPED program aims to integrate or mainstream the children in the regular classroom and to the society to become a productive and contributing member.

The SPED Coordinator identifies the Ids in the village through the concerted efforts of the MHOs, C/MSWDOs, Social Workers, Daycare Workers, Barangay Health Workers, classroom teachers among others. After the identification, the Social Workers intake them or enroll them as member of BBC-STAC.



The Social Workers then refer them to the rehabilitation team namely, the PT/OT/SPEDC. The rehabilitation team make their initial impression as to the disability. The IDs will be further be evaluated by the professionals for their diagnosis and referred them back to BBC-STAC PT (for physical rehab), OT (occupational rehab), SPED teacher (for the IEP), school or other groups/agencies that could provide assistance or intervention. The community assists by making others be aware and lobby the the rights of Ids. Other agencies also share their support by training and/or giving employment.



Activities and Consequences

At present, many of the identified IDs are undergoing SPED session in the BBC-STACenter. Some are also referred to the Occupational Therapist for the modification of their behavior if needed, Activities for Daily Living and others.

The school age IDs are referred to the pre-school education program under the MSWD or DepEd. The IDs teachers’ are given training on Inclusive Education to guide them in handling children with IDs. Also, some of the inschool IDs are given educational support either by the local government units, civic organizations or private persons.



The assistance given to the IDs’ education may be in the form of financial or materials (cash or kind). The problem seen is that the severely affected IDs’ educational need is not properly addressed in the elementary or secondary level due to the lack of knowledge and training of teachers. There are few or no community-based rehabilitation that assist the IDs except for BBC STAC.

The SPED Teacher/Coordinator conduct school visit to monitor the educational performance of IDs in school and to find out their difficulties so that the SPEDT/C could provide the proper intervention program, if needed. Furthermore, the SPEDT/C conduct home visit to follow up their holistic condition at home and neighbor.



The IDs are interviewed (if they can converse) as to their situation physically, mentally, socially. The non-speaker, on the other hand, are simply visited to check their whole status. Parents, siblings or neighbors are asked on the needs of the IDs and if they are, the SPEDT/C could refer them.

INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES IN THE PHILIPPINES

Services for IDs

The Department of Education as a GO implements Inclusive Education in all levels be it elementary, secondary and tertiary. Through the Inclusive Education, the IDs are given education. The department also gives equivalency test to IDs.

The Department of Labor encourages offices to employ disable, this does not discriminate IDs.

TESDA provides vocational training to IDs to prepare them to become an entrepreneur or an employee.


BBC STAC as a NGO provides free special education to IDs. BBC STAC also refer to IDs to regular school or SPED center or other specialists. IDs are also mainstream or integrated in the society for their holistic development.

Ating Tahanan as also NGO provides training of skill to IDs and later employ them to be a part of their working force.

DTI provides vocational or skills training to IDs.


Department of Education


Roles of Gov’t, NGOs and residents

Government must provide more services and opportunities to IDs; NGO, GOs and civic organizations along with the residents for the integration of IDs in the society. Residents must be aware that they too have the right to exercise and experience whatever a non-disable person experience.

SITUATION OF PERSONS W/ IDs

Finding & Diagnosis of ID, Early Intervention

There are few IDs identified in the Philippines due to the lack of knowledge of parents themselves for them to identify the nature of their children at early stage. Second, specialists are very few who could actually evaluate the existence of IDs. The neurodevelopmental pediatrician, psychologists, psychometrician, and special education are some of the professionals who are responsible in diagnosis. The social workers, on the other hand, refer the IDs to specialists, agencies, organizations or schools where they could be helped.

BBC STAC, a NGO, provides free special education to IDs and provides early intervention programs. The pre-school programs of the country under the Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office and Department of Education do not discriminate IDs who wish to enroll. However, the teachers themselves are not that knowledgeable to provide the proper educational intervention to IDs.


Education

Percentage of IDs who attend school: 60% of the mild IDs attend the regular school but 90% of the severe IDs are at home.

Type of Education: The mild IDs are integrated in the regular school. However, the IDs with severe or profound have very few or no centers/schools to choose from. Thus, IDs with severe cases would most likely unschooled.

In terms of placement procedure, IDs will be evaluated by the employed and if they could meet the requirements of the vacancy then they could be hired (this applies only to IDs with mild category).


Vocational Training

Only the mild IDs could possibly avail of the vocational training under TESDA/DTI and other NGOs like Ating Tahanan. The IDs with severe cases could hardly undergo minimal or no training at all because of non-existence of facilities to cater to their disability.

Support Organizations

GOs - The Department of Education, TESDA, DTI, Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office, Municipal Health Office, Area Vocational Rehabilitation Center and other GOs have their modest efforts who in their own way assist the IDs.

NGOs - BBC STAC, Ating Tahanan

ISSUES/PROBLEMS TO BE SOLVED TO CONDUCT EFFECTIVE SUPPORTS TO ID PEOPLE

Dearth of professionals in the identification of IDs.

Lack of programs and services from the GOs, NGOs, and civic organizations that cater to the needs of IDs such as labor and employment, vocational training, and health --- reproductive health and gender issues to name a few.

Rare or non-existence of educational programs that specifically addressed the severely affected IDs.

ISSUES/PROBLEMS TO BE SOLVED TO CONDUCT EFFECTIVE SUPPORTS TO ID PEOPLE

Poor awareness of parents and community on the nature and characteristics of IDs.

Employment of IDs is scarce.

Poor implementation of laws with regard to disability ie IDs.

IDs are not served to develop their maximum potentials.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH

ILLUMINADA “MAI” C. SUROPSPECIAL EDUCATION COORDINATOR

BBC-STACPHILIPPINES

Documents

THE PHILIPPINESTHE PHILIPPINESPhillipines).pdf · the Batas Pambansa Bilang 232, Philippine Action Plan (1990-2000) in Support for EFA, Child and Youth Welfare Code. THE PHILIPPINESTHE