You are on page 1of 4

ASEAN 2017 LOGO

The primary symbol of this years ASEAN Summits and the Philippine Chairmanship.

All the elements were purposely selected, from the colors to typeface, to capture the vision of ASEAN 2017.

ASEAN 2017

We welcome all of you, our brothers and sisters all over the region to our home.

The Philippines is honored to be the Chairman of ASEAN 2017, and we look forward to the year ahead as we
continue to pursue and enhance cooperation with you, our neighbors.

The theme Partnering for Change Engaging the World reflects the Philippine governments advocacy to promote
unity with and among ASEAN member states and its global partners. We invite everyone to become dynamic and
vibrant allies as we envision a future that is prosperous for all citizens.

We are one community, with one shared identity, one vision. An even stronger ASEAN begins today.

Learn More

Video Player

THEMATIC PRIORITIES

A People-Orientedand People-Centered ASEAN

This prioritizes women empowerment, and the social protection of women, the elderly and disabled. We will also
focus on the rights of our migrant workers, and how we can ensure that they will not be exploited or mistreated.

Peace and Stability in the Region


This focuses on ASEAN members as they work together to keep the peace in the region. It will include putting a stop
on the proliferation of illegal drugs. It will also address terrorism and transnational crimes. This continues our efforts
to build an ASEAN Community that has prospered because it has maintained peace and stability in the region,
creating a flourishing resilient economy.

Maritime Security and Cooperation

This ensures we protect our seas and the citizens who depend on it. Our fishermen and individuals who use these
waters must be able to enjoy their rights and perform their tasks without feeling insecure about their safety. Due to
the importance of shipping and seaborne trade in the region, we will need to create a comprehensive plan to
strengthen maritime security.

Inclusive, Innovation-led Growth

This means promoting entrepreneurship especially micro, small or medium enterprises. We will help employees
become business owners, while our businessmen are encouraged to go digital in order to compete globally.

ASEANs Resiliency

We know that storms, droughts, and other natural catastrophes are impossible to prevent, but if we embrace
resilient development we can make our region disaster-resilient and adaptable to climate change.

ASEAN: A Model of Regionalism,a Global Player

We are stronger together. Our unity gives us better influence in addressing critical issue that serve the world.

DepEd ensures inclusive education for learners with special needs

Facebook Twitter Google+ Share

February 24, 2017

PASIG CITY, February 24, 2017 In line with the Departments thrust in providing quality and inclusive basic
education for all, the Department of Education (DepEd) continues to provide the necessary educational interventions
for learners with certain exceptionalities through its Special Education (SPED) program.

The SPED program of DepEd provides a holistic approach in catering to the needs of learners with various
exceptionalities. This program ensures that learners with exceptionalities will have access to quality education by
giving them their individual and unique learning needs.

This initiative caters to learners with visual impairment, hearing impairment, intellectual disability, learning
disability, autism spectrum disorder, communication disorder, physical disability, emotional and behavioral disorder,
multiple disability with visual impairment, and to those who are orthopedically handicapped, chronically ill, and
gifted and talented.

Up to date, DepEd has recognized a total of 648 SPED Centers and regular schools offering the program471 of
which are catering to Elementary students and 177 are catering to High School students.

The Education Department has recorded around 250,000 enrollees with certain exceptionalities at the elementary
level and around 100,000 at the high school level in School Year (SY) 2015-2016.

Instructional programs

The parents or guardians of learners with certain exceptionalities may reach out to principals or guidance counselors
of schools where they wish to enroll their children to determine the necessary instructional program that their
children need best.

The instructional programs that the SPED teachers shall implement the following:

1. Self-contained/Special Class a separate class for only one type of exceptionality which serves moderate to
severe types of disabilities;

2. Itinerant Teaching a traveling teacher reaches out to children with special needs in other schools or at home to
provide direct and consultative services;

3. Resource Room a designated place where the child with special needs enrolled in the regular school program
goes to in order to make use of the specialized equipment, either in a tutorial situation or in a small group session
handled by a SPED teacher;

4. Pull-out a kind of program where the child enrolled in the regular class reports to the resource room for a
period of time for special instructions by the SPED teacher;

5. Integration/Mainstreaming refers to the enrolment of a child with special needs in a regular class with support
services. There are two degrees of integration: Partial Integration and Full Integration. In Partial
Integration/Mainstreaming, a child with special needs enrolled in a special class is integrated with regular children in
non-academic activities like work education, physical education, arts, school programs, etc, then gradually integrated
in the academic subjects if qualified. Meanwhile, in Full Integration/Mainstreaming, a child with special needs sits in
the regular class in all academic and non-academic subjects; and

6. Inclusion all children with disabilities, regardless of the nature and severity of their disability and need for
related services, receive their total education within the regular education classroom.
Strengthening teachers capabilities

In SY 2015-2016, DepEd has provided capability trainings to 345 teachers and 45 administrators and supervisors
involved in delivering quality education to learners with certain exceptionalities.

Among the partners of DepEd in enhancing the capabilities of teachers handling learners with exceptionalities and in
promoting the SPED advocacy are the Resources for the Blind Inc., Autism Society of the Philippines, Leonard
Cheshire for the Disabled Foundation (LCDF), and Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder Society (ADHD Society).

Moreover, the other partner organizations of DepEd for the SPED program are the Learning Disabilities Association
(LDA), Philippine Association for the Intellectually Disabled (PAFID), National Association for the Gifted (NAG),
Philippine Federation for the Rehabilitation of the Disabled (PFRD), Parents Advocate for the Visually Impaired
Children (PAVIC), and National Council on Disability Affairs (NCDA).

Inclusive Education

A girl with Downs Syndrome learns numbersInclusive Education is a learning environment where children with and
without disabilities are taught together, as equals. This approach is different to more traditional approaches to the
education of children with disabilities, such as the SPED model used in the Philippines, that involve segregating
CWDs into separate classes or even separate schools. Inclusive Education is recognized by teachers, families and
policy makers to be a more beneficial way of ensuring that children with and without disabilities achieve their full
educational potential.

Two blind students reading braille books in an inclusive classThe LCD Philippines Foundation Inclusive Education
program was initiated in 2005 in response to a perceived need for a remodification of the current educational
system for CWDs in the Philippines. Working in partnership with the Department of Education, other national NGOs
and 19 Community Support Groups (made up of volunteer parents and volunteer organisations), amongst other
partners, the program involves creating awareness among stakeholders; improving access to Inclusive Education in
schools and communities through providing accessible features, equipment and appropriate teacher training;
adopting an holistic approach to address the needs of CWDs through comprehensive health management and
rehabilitation interventions (including a program developed by one of our CHIIPS Interns ICARE) and research and
data gathering. In addition the Inclusive Education in collaboration with the Economic Empowerment programme
aims to create economic opportunities for the parents and families of disabled children.

You might also like