SENATOR Joel Villanueva is calling for urgent government intervention to address the severe shortage of Special Needs Education (SNED) teachers, developmental pediatricians, and allied health professionals currently serving children with disabilities across the country.

During a recent Senate hearing, Villanueva highlighted a stark example of the crisis from a visit to Minuyan Elementary School in San Jose del Monte City, Bulacan, where only two SNED teachers were reportedly managing 138 students with special needs.

The lawmaker also expressed deep concern over the steep hurdles families face when seeking timely assessments and early interventions for their children.

Education Secretary Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara validated the senator’s concerns, acknowledging that families often endure up to a one-year waitlist just to secure an appointment with a developmental pediatrician.

Villanueva, who serves as co-chairperson of the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM II), pointed to bureaucracy in government hospitals as a major roadblock—specifically citing unapproved plantilla positions that prevent public medical centers from hiring and training additional specialists.

He said teaching hospitals could train more developmental specialists with adequate government support.

The Philippine Children’s Medical Center currently trains five specialists annually but could accommodate at least 15.

The National Children’s Hospital trains eight and could increase its output by at least 10, while the Philippine General Hospital trains two specialists annually but could accommodate 10.

Villanueva urged government agencies to address these gaps immediately while pursuing long-term reforms, stressing that expanding the workforce must go hand in hand with affordable assessments and appropriate interventions, particularly for low-income families.

Meanwhile, the senator emphasized the need to institutionalize an autism care and inclusion program to protect the rights and dignity of persons with Autism Spectrum Disorder and promote their full participation in society.

Villanueva, co-author and co-sponsor of Senate Bill No. 1822, noted that the Senate has already approved the National Autism Care, Support and Inclusion Act.

He stressed that the government must ensure that children with autism and their families receive the support and services they need, adding that inclusion must translate into concrete assistance for every child and family.