MANILA — An estimated 5 million Filipino children with disabilities remain without adequate educational support, according to a new policy brief released Thursday by the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2) in partnership with IDinsight and the Department of Education (DepEd).

The report, “Accelerating Support for Learners with Disabilities,” assesses the early implementation of the Inclusive Education Act of 2022 (RA 11650). While the landmark law aims to guarantee quality education for all learners with disabilities (LWDs), the study found that chronic resource gaps and capacity issues are delaying its rollout.

Drawing from administrative data, consultations, key informant interviews, and a survey of 1,994 teachers conducted between January and August 2025, the study identifies three major problem areas: a vast identification and enrollment gap; insufficient support services; and non-operational Inclusive Learning Resource Centers (ILRCs).

Massive identification and enrollment gap

Only 391,089 learners with disabilities were enrolled in public schools in School Year 2024–2025 — just 8% of the estimated 5.1 million Filipino children with disabilities.

Even among those enrolled, meaningful support remains limited.
EDCOM 2 noted that 61% of LWDs in DepEd’s Learner Information System (LIS) have no formal medical diagnosis, and are instead tagged only based on observed “manifestations.”

Key barriers include:

• The Child Find System, designed to locate out-of-school children with disabilities, has yet to be operationalized.
• Two in three teachers say they lack training and tools for proper screenings.
• Many parents decline formal assessments due to stigma and financial constraints.

Widespread lack of support services

Among enrolled LWDs, 60% have no access to any special needs education (SNED) resource in their school — no SNED teacher, no program, no SPED Center, and no ILRC.

As a result, 75% of LWDs are mainstreamed in regular classes, often with teachers who have not received specialized training.

Other key findings:

• Only 32% of LWDs have a SNED teacher in their school.
• Even if all 772 vacant SPED teaching positions were filled, nearly half of LWDs would still have no SNED teacher.
• SNED allocations remain extremely low in some schools — as little as ₱333 to ₱488 per learner per year.
• Implementation of Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) is inconsistent; only 13% of receiving teachers use them, citing lack of training, overly lengthy forms, and absence of health professionals who are critical to the process.

Inclusive Learning Resource Centers still not operational

The Inclusive Education Act mandates the establishment of ILRCs in every city and municipality to serve as one-stop support hubs for learners with disabilities.

However, the study found that none of the 32 SPED Centers converted into ILRCs are fully operational.

While 69% have completed construction, most lack:

• Multidisciplinary teams (MDTs), including therapists and psychologists;
• Clear hiring or partnership guidelines to bring in specialists;
• Competitive salaries, making it difficult to attract qualified professionals;
• Operational budgets and service protocols.

Without MDTs, ILRCs cannot conduct comprehensive assessments or deliver essential therapies — leaving the facilities underutilized despite significant infrastructure spending.

Urgent need for phased, locally adapted reforms

EDCOM 2 emphasized that bridging these gaps is crucial to realizing the Inclusive Education Act’s promise.

The commission recommended:

• Strengthening disability identification through inter-agency coordination;
• Prioritizing the hiring of SNED teachers across high-need areas;
• Expanding teacher training on inclusive education and IEP implementation;
• Finalizing hiring and partnership guidelines to staff ILRCs with MDT professionals;
• Increasing funding for school-level special education programs.

“Transforming inclusive education from policy to reality requires urgent, sustained, and well-resourced action,” EDCOM 2 said.