The National Council on Disability Affairs (NCDA) has cited the enactment of the Republic Act 11650 – An Act Instituting a Policy of Inclusion and Services for Learners with Disabilities in Support of Inclusive Education. The measure was signed into law by President Rodrigo Duterte last March 11, 2022.
The law mandates all schools in the country to provide “free and appropriate public early and basic education and support and related services” for learners with disabilities.
It also aims to establish a learning facility called the “Inclusive Learning Centers of Learners with Disabilities” or ILRCs for the students’ general education system.
As a policy-making body and leaders of advocacy for the rehabilitation and equalization of opportunities in the context of rights-based society for persons with disability, the passage of this law is an important milestone that will uphold the rights and uplift the lives of children with disabilities in the Philippines, the NCDA said in a statement.
“The disability sector lauds the passage of RA 11650 and regard it as one of the landmark laws that upholds the rights of persons with disabilities, specifically those children and youth with learning challenges. The law provides new hopes for a better future for the disability sector as education is one of the major pillars of empowerment that the NCDA promotes,” NCDA executive director Emerito Rojas said.