Senate ratifies bicam report on bill for learners with disabilities

MANILA, Philippines — The Senate ratified on Tuesday the bicameral conference committee report on a bill seeking to establish services for learners with disabilities in support of inclusive education.

The bicam report was on the reconciled version of Senate Bill No. 1907 and House Bill No. 8080.

Approved on third and final reading in the Senate in May, Senate Bill No. 1907 seeks to establish and maintain at least one Inclusive Learning Resource Center (ILRC) in all cities and municipalities.

Among the services that centers will offer are linguistic solutions for deaf learners’ concerns, speech-language pathology and audiology services, physical and occupational therapy, counseling and rehabilitation, and medical and transportation services.

The House counterpart of the bill was approved on final reading in December last year and likewise seeks to establish ILRCs in all school districts.

The House version also mandates the Department of Education to undertake continuing research to identify and design programs that meet the needs of learners with disabilities and provide nationwide dissemination campaigns on the prevention, early identification, and intervention programs for learners with disabilities.

It likewise called for the establishment of a program support fund for the delivery of services for learners with disabilities.

ATM