SENATOR Sherwin Gatchalian on Monday stressed that the government must fully implement the law on inclusive education for learners with disabilities.

The senator was referring to Republic Act 11650 or Instituting a Policy of Inclusion and Services for Learners with Disabilities in Support of Inclusive Education Act, which he sponsored during the 18th Congress.

In the 2022 Country Report on Human Rights Practices in the Philippines, the United States Department of State said the law on learners with disabilities was not effectively enforced and many barriers remain, including those that made attendance difficult.

The report also noted that the government lack a clear system for informing parents of children with disabilities of their educational rights and did not have a well-defined procedure for reporting discrimination in education.

Stakeholders and advocates also lamented the non-issuance of the law’s Implementing Rules and Regulations more than a year since it was passed.

Gatchalian pushed for the urgent issuance of the law’s IRR since it will cover the minimum services and conditions in the admissions systems and policies of all schools, including the provision of assistive devices, facilities and infrastructure in the admission process and other forms of reasonable accommodation.

To ensure the progressive realization of the objectives of RA 11650, the senator said that the crafting of a multi-year roadmap is required to guide government agencies and private stakeholders.

The law mandates the establishment of at least one Inclusive Learning Resource Center for Learners with Disabilities in every city and municipality to implement inclusive education programs and deliver free support services to learners with disabilities.

Gatchalian pointed out that under the 2023 national budget, P160 million was allotted under the Department of Education’s capital outlay to allow each region to convert at least one Special Education Center into a model ILRC.