Rep. Carmelo “Pogi” Lazatin Jr. of Pampanga’s 1st District is pushing to strengthen the implementation of Republic Act No. 11650, also known as the “Instituting a Policy of Inclusion and Services for Learners with Disabilities in Support of Inclusive Education Act.”
Lazatin seeks to establish Specialized Inclusive Education (SPED) Service Units in all cities and municipalities for learners who are deaf or hard of hearing, blind or with low vision, or speech- and language-impaired.
Under House Bill No. 8310, filed by Lazatin on March 5, the Department of Education, in collaboration with local government units, would establish SPED Service Units in cities and municipalities.
These would operate as part of, co-located with, or linked to Inclusive Learning Resource Centers established under Republic Act No. 11650,
The SPED Service Units would assist the Department of Education (DepEd) and the resource centers in delivering specialized education support services.
They would also help learners enrolled in regular schools—or those who have left school—transition to independent living, vocational training and competitive employment.
The proposed units would also serve as hubs or satellite facilities designed to meet the architectural and programmatic needs of learners with sensory impairments.
“Despite the enactment of RA 11650, implementation gaps remain in ensuring that services are readily available to learners who are sensory-impaired, particularly at the local level where specialized personnel, assistive technology, and accessible facilities may be limited,” Lazatin said.
DepEd data for School Year 2016–2017 show that 232,975 learners with disabilities or learning exceptionalities were mainstreamed into regular classes.
Of these, 19,535 had visual impairment, 13,365 had hearing impairment and 6,568 had speech or language impairment.
“Providing quality education to Filipino learners is already very challenging, but making quality education inclusive would definitely test our commitment to this goal,” Lazatin said.
Lazatin has long advocated inclusive policies. On Oct. 6, 2025, he filed House Bill No. 5125, which seeks to establish national and provincial centers for autism.
The measure would mandate the creation of centers to develop and implement an integrated plan for the diagnosis, therapy and rehabilitation of individuals with autism, he said.
The centers would provide free diagnosis, therapy and rehabilitation, vocational training for adults with autism, employment opportunities for individuals with autism, and counseling, orientation and referral services.
