Build education centers for special children, Robredo urges Congress

MANILA, Philippines – Vice President Leni Robredo urged Congress last Tuesday to pass more child-protection measures, including the establishment of special education centers in all public schools.

“It is prohibitively expensive for poor families to give a good education to children with special needs,” Robredo said at an event organized by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) at the SM Mall of Asia.

“The ability to get a good education early in life will mean the difference between exclusion and inclusion. If this (SPED centers) bill is passed, we would have given inclusivity a big boost,” she stressed.

Robredo noted that since the early ’90s Congress has passed several laws protecting the rights of children such as the Anti-Child Labor, Anti-Violence Against Women and Children, Juvenile Justice and Welfare, Anti-Child Pornography, Foster Care, and Anti-BullyingActs.

There are pending bills on child protection such as the Protection of Children in Situations of Armed Conflict, Raising the Age of Consent to Determine Statutory Rape, Civil Registration and the Positive Discipline and Anti-Corporal Punishment bill, and an act establishing SPED centers for children with special needs in all public schools. 

As head of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC), Robredo said they will design communities – not just houses – which are more friendly to those who are differently abled.

“If we design communities with those who have special needs in mind, I am positive that everyone will benefit, and we would be literally reshaping our world to become a better one,” she said.

“Such was the case when somebody thought of text messaging. Did you know it was originally designed for the deaf? See how everyone uses it now,” she added.

The Office of the Vice President has chosen five areas as its priority in its mission for inclusivity: hunger and food security, universal healthcare, rural development, education, and people empowerment.

Robredo said that in each of these priority areas, there is space for policy on protecting the rights of children with special needs.

UNICEF Country Representative Julia Reese said around 3.3 million or 8.1 percent of children up to 18 years old in the Philippines are living with disabilities.

Reese noted that children with disabilities and their communities will both benefit if society will focus on what children can do rather than what they cannot do.

She said children with disabilities are “less likely to attend school, access medical services, receive proper nutrition, or have their voices heard.” 

Because of the marginalization of many of these children, Reese believes that it is even more important to “promote changes to ensure that children with disabilities are guaranteed the same rights as all other children.”   

Reese said that the Philippines was among the earliest signatories to the “Convention of the Rights of the Persons with Disabilities.” The Philippines continues to work towards guaranteeing equal rights for all of its citizens, including the most vulnerable and excluded.  

UNICEF has partnered with SM in a photo exhibit dubbed, “See What I can do,” to help raise awareness and create an inclusive environment wherein the abilities of children with disabilities are highlighted instead of their disabilities.

The opening of the photo exhibit at the SM MOA Music Hall marks a celebration of the potential and abilities of each child, rather than the limitations. 

The photos provide a perceptive glimpse into the children’s lives, highlighting inspiring stories such as that of Alexandra Tallod, a 10-year-old girl who also gave a speech at the opening of the exhibit. Totally blind since birth, Alexandra maintains her determination to win a gold medal in her favorite sport, track and field. 

The nation can work toward developing a more inclusive society in which the highest potential of each child can be achieved, Reese and Robredo said.— With reports from Samantha Westfall