Solon seeks SPED centers in cities

MANILA, Philippines - A congressman has filed a bill seeking to establish special education (SPED) centers that will exclusively serve the needs of special children.

Paranaque City Rep. Eric Olivarez said that with the creation of SPED centers as provided under House Bill 3888, special children will be given sufficient focus and attention which can help expedite their learning process.

"These education centers will exclusively serve the needs of special children and would enhance and hone their special abilities, skills and talents, which other public schools might fall short on giving," he said.

Under the proposed measure, every component city in the Philippines to establish at least one SPED Center in every highly urbanized city to establish at least two SPED Centers to cater to a higher population.

It also provides for the creation and maintenance of a joint SPED center between two or more component cities, which have insufficient income to maintain its own SPED center or have small population of special kids making it impractical to establish and operate a center for them.

Olivarez said the establishment of a joint SPED center shall be approved by the Department of Social Welfare and Development.

The proposed joint SPED center shall be accessible to all the constituents of all neighboring cities, he added.

The measure states that the city mayors shall appoint an administration committee who shall act as the governing body of the SPED centers. The committee shall be composed of one Chairman and two members whose qualifications and term of office shall be set by the DSWD.

All special children shall have the right to enroll in the SPED center established in the city where he or she resides without having to pay any kind of fee.

The SPED center shall also admit all special children residing in the city where the said center is established without regard to sex, actual age, income of the household where he or she belongs and the degree of disability.

The bill defines a special child as one who has been determined to require special attention and specific necessities that other children do not.