VICE President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte said that an inclusive learning system is the key to elevating the situation of students, particularly the poor and disabled.

In her keynote speech during the Language and Inclusion Summit, Duterte underscored the Department of Education’s MATATAG agenda which she said “only becomes truly meaningful and effective if we can put inclusivity at the center of what we do.”

“This means that our MATATAG Agenda does not forget, discriminate against, or disregard Indigenous Peoples or our Lumad brothers and sisters, our Muslim communities, or people with disabilities,” she said.

“We hope to see our IP or Lumad learners, Muslim learners, and PWD learners experience the same learning experience we provide other learners,” Duterte added.

The summit aims to showcase the diversity of languages in the Philippines and its integration to basic education in promoting literacy.

Duterte said the program to strengthen literacy among Filipino children without discrimination “should lift them up, take them away from the sidelines, bail them out from their conditions of hardships and poverty, and ultimately — help them improve their lives.”

Duterte also stressed DepEd’s commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals, the UNESCO Convention against Discrimination in Education, and the Education 2030 Framework for Action, which devotes efforts to ensure quality and equitable education.

She cited the implementation of Republic Act 11650 also known as “Instituting a Policy of Inclusion and Services for Learners with Disabilities in Support of Inclusive Education Act.”

She said DepEd is also implementing policies to make schools a welcoming environment for learning. Among these initiatives are the Child Find Policy for Learners with Disabilities Towards Inclusive Education released in 2022.