NCDA BOARD RESOLUTION NO. 8 SERIES OF 2020
A RESOLUTION PROVIDING SUPPORT SERVICES FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES IN TERTIARY EDUCATION
WHEREAS, under Article XIV, Section 1 of the 1987 Constitution of the Philippines, it explicitly provides that “The State shall protect and promote the right of all citizens to quality education at all levels and shall take appropriate steps to make such education accessible to all”;
WHEREAS, under Chapter 2, Section 13 of Republic Act No. 7277 otherwise known as the Magna Carta for Persons with Disability, it provides that “The State shall provide financial assistance to economically marginalized but deserving students with disabilities pursuing post-secondary or tertiary education. Such assistance may be in the form of scholarship grants, student loan programs, subsidies, and other incentives to qualified students with disabilities in both public and private schools”;
WHEREAS, under a new chapter which is denominated as Chapter 8 in Republic Act No. 9442 entitled An Act Amending Republic Act No. 7277, Otherwise Known as the “Magna Carta for Disabled Persons and for Other Purposes”, it stipulates in Section 32 (h) thereof that “Educational assistance to persons with disability, for them to pursue primary, secondary, tertiary and post tertiary education as well as vocational or technical education, in both public and private schools, through the provision of scholarship grants, financial aids, subsidies and other incentives to qualified persons with disability, including support for books, learning materials and uniform allowance to the extent feasible: Provided, That persons with disability shall meet the minimum admission requirements”;
WHEREAS, under Republic Act 10931 better known as the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act of 2017, it institutionalizes free tuition and exemption from other fees of college students in state universities and colleges (SUCs) and local universities and colleges (LUCs) in the Philippines. In Section 7 (d) of this Act, it provides that “For a student with disability, an allowance for expenses related to the student’s disability including special services, personal assistance, transportation, equipment and supplies that are reasonably incurred”;
WHEREAS, under Section 32 of CHED Memorandum Order No. 9, S. 2013 titled Enhanced Policies and Guidelines on Student Affairs and Services, it stipulates the services for students with special needs and persons with disabilities which must be designed to provide equal opportunities for them;
WHEREAS, under Article 24 of the Concluding Observations on the Initial Report of the Philippines on the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities observes with concern that “The education of children, young persons and adults with disabilities in regular educational facilities is hindered by the barriers to accessibility, and the lack of universal design for learning and of reasonable accommodation in all academic and social aspects of student life”;
WHEREAS, in a study provided by the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) released earlier this year urged the government to take several measures to make education more accessible to persons with disabilities including addressing the lack of transportation, basic facilities and schools’ infrastructures;
WHEREAS, in many years there have been consistent very low percentage of persons with disabilities enrolled in tertiary education. Moreover, there are only few higher educational institutions (HEIs) in the country that accommodate students with special educational needs;
WHEREAS, enormous challenges on how to address attitudinal, social and physical barriers such as discrimination, attitude towards persons with disability, school requirements and fees, accessibility of school facilities, availability of accessible learning materials, assistive devices, teachers’ readiness and ability to handle students with disabilities and other support services;
WHEREAS, it takes a collective effort by the concerned national government agencies, local government units, higher education institutions (HEIs) and other stakeholders to provide quality and inclusive tertiary education for students with disabilities; and
WHEREAS, to address the barriers identified, needed support services must be in placed in HEIs for students with disabilities to finish tertiary education.
NOW, THEREFORE, RESOLVED as it hereby resolved, to require the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) to develop programs for students with disabilities pursuing tertiary education degrees that would provide the needed services for them while pursuing their higher education careers.
RESOLVED FINALLY to issue relevant policies intended for their stakeholders and affiliated institutions and agencies that will tertiary students with disabilities appropriate services.
APPROVED this 5th day of October 2020 during the NCDA Board meeting held via Zoom.
APPROVED BY:
CAMILO G. GUDMALIN
Undersecretary, DSWD
Alternate Chairperson, NCDA
DR. NAPOLEON L. AREVALO FEDERICO V. ABUAN, JR.
Director IV Assistant Secretary
Department of Health Department of Labor and Employment
ATTY. TONISITO M.C. UMALI, Esq. ROOSQUE B. CALACAT
Undersecretary Assistant Secretary
Department of Education Department of the Interior and Local Government
AMEENAH A. FAJARDO ATTY. JOHNSON V. DOMINGO
Assistant Secretary Project Director
Department of Trade and Industry Department of Public Works and Highways
ATTY. ARTEMIO U. TUAZON, JR. NORALYN JUBAIRA-BAJA
Chief of Staff Assistant Secretary, UNIO
Department of Transportation Department of Foreign Affairs
ATTY. MA. NERISSA CARPIO RAMON L. CUALOPING III
Assistant Secretary Director-General
Department of Justice Philippine Information Agency
GABRIEL LUIS R. QUISUMBING ARNOLD (ALI) ATIENZA
Deputy Director General Undersecretary
Technical Education and Skills Development Department of Information and
Authority Communications Technology
JAMES G. INFIESTO ENRIQUE A. AMPO
Association of Differently Abled Persons, Inc. Executive Director
HACI D Oro, Inc.
FREDERICK L. CASTRO
Sector of Persons with Disabilities