“I can make a difference. I can make a BIG difference.”

It is not often that you hear these words from anyone asked about the country’s complex issues like disability inclusion. In this case, this is Safiya Sugala-Unggas’ response to making disability inclusion happen in the Bangsamoro region through Inclusive Education.

Safiya Sugala-Unggas is the current Regional SPED Focal Person of the Ministry of Basic, Higher, and Technical Education (MBHTE) in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM). She is a current member of the MBHTE Regional Technical Working Group for the KaISA Project or the Inclusive Schools Approach, an MBHTE-led initiative for inclusive education supported by the Australian Government.

But long before this, she was a teacher in her hometown, Tawi-Tawi.

The first step to a lifelong journey

Teacher Fiya began her journey as an educator in 2003, a time where education for children with disabilities was not yet fully accepted by most people in her hometown, due to the cultural stigma that was prevalent among families here.

Amidst this setting, she continued her mission to teach the children of Tawi-Tawi, where she encountered a student who inspires her to this day.

As a Grade 3 advisor, she noticed a student who sat all the way to the back of the classroom. This student did not participate in class.

This observation made her wonder how to reach out and encourage them. She decided to use class recitation.

She began calling the students at random to read passages to the class, eventually calling on the student at the back. Suddenly, the other students started laughing.

It turned out that they had speech difficulty – the reason for their shy personality, and the reason why their classmates began laughing. The student couldn’t help but cry.

“I got offended for the student, and said, why was this happening? So, I told the student to go in front, and I said, ‘You should not be ashamed of your speech difficulty… We all have a right to education, to study. You are here to study, and not to be bullied.’”

Teacher Fiya educated the students on being inclusive and taught them to accept every one of their classmates, no exceptions.

The next day, she discovered that this made an impact on them, and they learnt. The student she once saw as a quiet outcast found friends in the classmates that were laughing at them before. 

Teacher Fiya created a connection with the student that she remembers fondly after all those years. Though she had lost contact with them after moving and changing schools, she still thinks about them, happy with how they had changed for the better. 

Every person has their “why” for everything they do; this story was hers. This gave her the strength to become the Regional SPED Focal Person.

“Up until now that I have become the SPED Focal Person, I say, ‘I can make a difference. I can make a BIG difference.”

What it means to make a big difference

Today, she desires to make a difference not only for Bangsamoro learners with disabilities, but also for the future of BARMM. 

“The youth is the hope of our nation. So, if everyone is given the chance equally despite their disability, then all will be productive individuals. We will spend a lot more today, but I’m sure, we will reap what we sow.”

She emphasized that education means achieving justice for all children, especially children with disabilities and other learners who are left behind. When education is made accessible to everyone, we ensure a better world.

It is important for her to be true to this purpose; this is why she chose to lead and contribute to the Inclusive Schools Approach (ISA) initiative of MBHTE.

“[ISA] is great. This is our chance to make everyone understand that everyone is included, that no Bangsamoro child will be left behind. All of us, hand-in-hand, together will make BARMM progress, including the advocacy for Bangsamoro learners.”

The importance of supporting and empowering educators for inclusive education 

For Teacher Fiya, educators are the seed for Inclusive Education to take root and grow to benefit all learners in the Bangsamoro. She tells her fellow teachers, “Inclusion starts with us.” Education opens the door for Bangsamoro to move towards a more progressive and inclusive tomorrow.

Education is founded on the belief that teaching creates the world we aspire for. As educators go on and continue the work of empowering learners with disabilities, in the process, the world changes as it is molded into one where no child is left behind – where every child knows and feels that they belong.

Learning about Inclusive Education prompts those who listen to imagine what an inclusive education in the future can look like for children with disabilities, without the fear of experiencing discrimination. Those who believe this imagine a world that embraces people of all backgrounds, and endeavours to create a life everyone deserves. 

But for those who have not heard about Inclusive Education, how do they think? What are the beliefs they had about children with disabilities – how did they perceive them? More importantly, after learning about what Inclusive Education is and why it is important, how do they change? 

Tabuan Elementary School School Head Norhata Mamantik-Macaundas shared her story of her encounter with a student with disability, and how her perception of what education should be was forever changed after attending a training workshop on Inclusive Education. 

A first encounter with a child with disability 

In 2015, Teacher Norhata visited the school along with other parents to observe the class. She observed that her child had a classmate who was makulit (mischievous). This student loved to run around the classroom and distract their classmates from their classwork. She saw the parents of the child sitting at the back of the classroom, and telling the other parents that the child would tire themselves out eventually, and to just be patient.  

Being a mother who trusted that their child was in school and studying well while they were working hard for their future, she felt frustrated that there was nothing being done. Back then, she thought that if this was how the child was, perhaps they had a negligent mother. It turned out that the parents of the other children in the room felt the same way.  

Later, the group of parents submitted a school petition to exclude the child from the classroom activities so that their children would be able to focus on school. They said that the child did not belong in the classroom. The student was removed not long after that. 

Looking back, but paying it forward 

Norhata looked back on this memory years later in regret that she ever did those things back then.  

“Na-guilty ako, naging mababaw yung pag-unawa ko. Dapat before ako nag-judge, kinausap ko muna yung nanay. Sana pinaintindi sa amin nung parents yung, “Paki-intindi yung anak ko.’” 

(I felt guilty that I had a shallow understanding. Before I judged them, I should have talked to the mother. I wish that the parents made us understand the sentiment of, ‘Please be patient with our child.’) 

If she knew what they were going through, she might have helped them given her experience as an educator. At the same time, she acknowledged that it was possible the parent did not know, or that they were simply protecting their child from the cultural stigma against disability. 

Norhata looked back at this memory with a renewed perspective when she attended the training on the Foundations of ISA (Inclusive Schools Approach) that taught selected Field Enumerators for the 20-Day Campaign to Reach Every Child or the Child Finding Activity an introduction to disability inclusion and inclusive education. The training – supported by Australia through the implementation of Education Pathways to Peace in Mindanao with partner The Teacher’s Gallery – was initiated to build the capacity of educators and school leaders as Field Enumerators through training and actual field experience. This campaign exposed the Field Enumerators to the situations of children with functional difficulties and how these factors into their access to quality education. 

She wishes that she would find the parent again and promised to look for her. This became part of her purpose as a Field Enumerator; and for her, perhaps the reason she was chosen in the grand scheme of things. 

She was surprised when she was selected by her supervisor as a Field Enumerator, and described herself as someone who was afraid of disability – an effect of the prevailing culture of parents hiding children with disabilities. Soon after the training, she that there was nothing to be afraid of and that this was a sign for her to change. 

Norhata considered her position in Tabuan Elementary School in the Lanao Del Sur II Division an opportunity for her to use what she had learned learnt to pay it forward. She plans to prioritize identifying learners in need of assistance when face-to-face classes resume. 

How parents and teachers must build an inclusive world for children with disabilities 

For her, it was important that parents of children with disabilities be helped to understand that their child belongs, and that they should not be hidden. Though the child knows that they are different, they should also feel that they belong. Norhata promises to talk to them and tell them that they should come be part of the school activities. 

“Dapat belong sila (children with disabilities). Belong yung bata, kasi tao rin sila, at may pakiramdam din sila.” 

(Children with disabilities must belong. They must belong because they are human and they feel, too.) 

It was also important for her that teachers accept them. “Sa atin sila (batang may kapansanan) kukuha ng lakas, lalo na ‘yung mga parents. May mga parents na magbabakasakaling dalhin yung anak nila [sa school] para matanggap. Kung may mapansin na [may sintomas ng kapansanan], tulungan natin silang maintindihan and ano yung mga kailangan niya at pano natin siya pwedeng matulungan. Dapat open [kami]. Dapat may communication.” 

(Children with disabilities get their strength from us, especially their parents. There are parents who will take a chance and bring their children to school so they can be accepted. If you notice any signs of disability, let us help them understand and know what they need and how we can help them. We should be open. There should be communication.) 

This is why investing in empowering educators and the school communities they belong to is vital to making inclusive education happen. 

Norhata Mamantik-Macaundas shows what it means to acknowledge one’s mistakes after learning, to be brave enough to face one’s guilt, and to transform ourselves to be instruments of change. Being human means being imperfect – but beyond that, her story teaches us that being human also means always trying to be better, and moving on to build a world that is better than before. 

___

Norhata Mamantik-Macaundas is the School Head of Tabuan Elementary School in the Lanao Del Sur-II district. Currently, she is serving as an Enumerator in the Pilot Disability Data Gathering as part of the Ministry of Basic, Higher, and Technical Education’s (MBHTE) Inclusive Schools Approach initiative, supported by the Australian Government through Education Pathways to Peace in Mindanao (Pathways) and The Teacher’s Gallery (TTG). 

Making inclusion happen in education is a responsibility that when faced with its nuances becomes difficult to accept and commit to. In a country where inclusive education has just begun to emerge with the recent passage of the Inclusive Education Act or Republic Act 11650 in March 2022, it is indeed daunting for anyone to face this challenge. 

This was the position Klyssa Mascardo found herself in when she was assigned to be the pilot Inclusive and Supportive Centre of Learning (ISCL) Coordinator in Timanan Central Elementary School (TCES) as part of the Ministry of Basic, Higher and Technical Education’s (MBHTE) initiative, supported by the Australian Government, to implement the Inclusive Schools Approach (ISA) or the KaISA Project across the region, starting with their school community.

Learning to love being an educator 

For Teacher Klyssa, becoming an educator did not come easily to her. Choosing to be a teacher was then only a way to earn a living. Having graduated with a degree in special education, it seemed like the obvious choice for a job. As time went by, she grew to love the profession and it went beyond simply earning money, and towards making a difference. 

“Na-realise ko rin na ang ganda pala ng profession na ‘to, kasi hindi lang isang tao ang ma-totouch mo yung buhay, kundi ang dami mong pwedeng mabago sa isang community.” 

(I realised that this profession is good because I will be able to touch not only one life, but instead change a lot of things for the better in one community.) 

When the KaISA Project was eventually initiated through the investment of the Australian Government, Teacher Klyssa was assigned to co-design the pilot ISCL in TCES. This began her exposure to the concept of inclusive education and how it applies to her community. The more that she learned, the more that she saw that inclusive education was the solution to her school community’s barriers to education. This pushed her to continue the work that she was doing – especially with the onslaught of the COVID-19 pandemic, when many children decided to quit school because learning became too difficult for them. Many encouraged her to try a different job that would better serve her needs; but because of the barriers to education that she saw in her school community through the KaISA Project, it was something she could not do. 

“Na-[realize] ko na ‘wag [iwanan ang pagiging guro]; kasi dahil sa ISCL, dahil sa inclusive education, na-realize ko na ang dami pa palang hindi talaga nakakatanggap ng education na dapat na nakukuha nila. So baka mas marami pa akong matulungan na imbes na mag-quit ako… dito mas maraming bata, mas maraming tao ang pwede kong ma-serve.” 

(I realized that I shouldn’t quit being a teacher; because of the ISCL, because of inclusive education, I realized that there were so many who do not receive the education that they should be receiving. So perhaps there I could help a lot more people instead of quitting… here, there were a lot of children, a lot of people that I could serve.) 

Teacher Klyssa, together with other select educators from the TCES school community, underwent many trainings and workshops that encouraged them to learn the fundamentals of inclusive education and how they could apply it as contextualized and effective inclusive practices. Through this, they learned that inclusive education does not directly equate to simply letting every kind of learner enroll.

“Pero hindi pala ganon. Kasi sabi nga along the trainings, sa lahat ng mga orientations, seminars na naibigay sa amin, doon na namulat na ay hindi lang pala siya na sabi na, ibigay ko lang ‘to, ibigay ko lang yan basta-basta. Kundi kailangan mo siya tutukan simula sa umpisa hanggang sa ma-achieve mo yung goal para sa isang learner. Parang doon lang namin na–realize na hindi siya ganon ka-simple. Ang hirap-hirap niya lalo na kung kaw lang mag-isa ang nagtatrabaho. Dito rin [napalakas] yung aming bond ng mga kasama dito sa school at saka bond namin with other agencies kasi parang doon, na-practice namin ang paano makipag-communicate sa iba, na magtulungan – hindi lang ang school, kundi ang i-involve lahat; hindi lang school ang dapat na magbigay ng ganitong services para sa kanila, kundi pwede din pala kahit na sa schools nila, pwedeng tumulong ang ibang agencies. So parang yun ang… na-instill o natutunan namin.” 

(But it’s not like that. Because it was said along the trainings, in all the orientations, seminars that were conducted with us, that was where we realized that it wasn’t just saying, I’ll give this, I’ll give that outright. Instead, you must start working it from the beginning until you achieve the goal for even one learner. It was only then when we realized that it wasn’t that simple. It’s so difficult especially if you do it alone. It was also here that our bond with our school community was strengthened as well as our bond with other agencies because there, we practiced how we should be communicating with others, to help one another – not just the school, but to involve everyone; the school shouldn’t be the only one providing these kinds of services for them, but even in their own schools, agencies can contribute. So that’s… what was instilled in us or what we learned.) 

The importance of supporting and empowering educators for inclusive education 

Teacher Klyssa – like all the other educators involved in co-designing the pilot ISCL in TCES – was hesitant at first, but through trainings provided by the KaISA Project and the support provided by the entire school community, they achieved what they had set out to do. 

Having worked on this project has also opened them to the possibilities that inclusive education has to offer not only for them as educators, but for all members of the school community they were leading.  

For her, the future that inclusive education creates is bright. Teacher Klyssa emphasizes her belief that investing in inclusive initiatives in BARMM will make everyone feel valued and, as a result, will be encouraged to strive to gain the quality education that they deserve that no one can take away. Quality education will also pave the way towards more opportunities – and when more opportunities exist for every person, BARMM will progress as one. 

BARMM’s progress hinges on a collective growth that can only be achieved when all members of the school community are actively involved. By investing in champions for inclusive education in every school community, an inclusive future becomes possible for every learner in the Bangsamoro. 

When one asks an educator why they pursued education and teaching children, the answer is similar from person to person, though in different words: because they believe in the power of education to shape the future of children. Through education, one can make their dreams come true, and create the future that they want for themselves.  

It is also the belief of educators, especially those who are in isolated areas where education may not be so easily accessed, that education is necessary to uplift the people of their community. Most times, the value of education can be found where one is – and inspires a person to make a significant impact to benefit everyone, no matter what challenges may arise. 

Iyasmen Dandamun, a KaISA Team Leader in the School Division Office (SDO) of Lanao del Sur, represented them and shared their collective effort in going beyond their capacity to create an inclusive Bangsamoro – starting by creating an inclusive Lanao del Sur. 

Learning and seeing the value of inclusion for the community 

2020 was a transformative year not only for Teacher Iyasmen, but also for most education professionals who catered to learners with disabilities in their school district. It was the year that transformed their collective understanding of what education can be and how it can change to be inclusive – not only for those with disabilities, but for every learner of all identities and backgrounds through inclusive education.  

When Teacher Iyasmen and her fellow Lanao del Sur Team Leaders (namely Coraisah T. Mimbantas, Hanifa Bacaraman, Carmina Macaindig, Asrizha S. Cosain, Janina M. Adapun, Rohaidah L. Hadjinor, Omerah M. Barangai, Fayediyah Aratuc, and Bayawan B. Mangandog) attended the first KaISA training – led by the Ministry of Basic, Higher and Technical Education (MBHTE) with the support of the Australian Government – and returned to their school community, they realized that education for learners with disabilities was an emerging need and saw that there was a lack of awareness in the context of diverse learners. Using what they had learned, they were able to identify, see firsthand, and reflect on why learners with disabilities found it difficult to go to school. Many children with disabilities who belonged to their community had families who felt the need to protect them from the discrimination they could receive at school. Because of this, even the children themselves felt discouraged and ashamed of their condition, and in turn, of themselves.  

“Mismo yung bata, nahihiya siya kasi sa bahay nila, sa kanila is wala nang… di naman sa pag-asa, pero iniisip nila, bakit pa? Para saan pa? May patutunguhan pa ba yan kung mag-aral pa man? Kung may ganyan talaga, kung may program na ganito, pwedeng ma-encourage or pwedeng magkaroon ng interest yung parents pati yung bata na mag-aral, kasi… meron pa. Kaya pa. May pag-asa ka pa.” 

(Even the children themselves, they feel ashamed [of themselves] because at home, there is no… I wouldn’t say hope, but they think, why try? For what? Would they even have a future even if they study? If there’s something like this, if there’s a program like this, their parents can be encouraged, or they can gain an interest in enroling their children in school, alongside their children, because… There’s more. It’s possible. You have hope.) 

For Teacher Iyasmen, the KaISA Project, when finally fully implemented, will serve as a beacon of hope not only for children with disabilities, but every learner who seeks education for a brighter future. She describes education as a tool for empowerment – if one is educated, they can independently stand up for themselves because they know their value, dignity, and rights. 

At the same time, she observed that in Lanao del Sur, there were already some inclusive practices in place, and teachers were very willing to cater to learners with disabilities but needed the support to serve their educational needs.  

“Nung una, lito. Di ko pa siya [maintindihan]. Pero kalaunan, dahil sa mga training, mga seminar, [nadiin] na sa akin kung ano yun incluisve education about sa KaISA. Lahat kasama. Lahat involved. Walang maiiwan talaga. I-rereach out mo yung mga bata na hindi pumapasok, kahit yung may disability, yung mga hindi kayang pumasok kasi nasa child labor sila, kasi naghahanap-buhay. Yung mga batang lagpas na sa edad… ayun, tuluy-tuloy na siya. Marami na akong na-learn sa inclusive education, maganda talaga siya. Marami talagang matututunan dito at marami kang ma-hehelp na tao.” 

(At first, [I felt] confusion. I didn’t [understand] it yet. But eventually, because of the training, the seminars, [I finally got] what inclusive education is. Everyone is included. Everyone is involved. No one will really be left behind. We will reach out those children who didn’t go to school, even those with disabilities, those who cannot go to school because they need to earn a living, those who have outgrown the usual school age… I learned a lot of things about inclusive education, and it’s really good. There is a lot to learn here, and this will greatly help a lot of people.)

All six Team Leaders came together and brainstormed, dividing the necessary tasks up among themselves [specify names and tasks]. When their plan was ready for the annual presentation to Lanao del Sur School Divisions Superintendent (SDS) Rubina Mimbantas Macabundar, they laid out a comprehensive plan that covered many topics and practices, including but not limited to formative assessment, addressing learners’ diversity, and behavior management in the classroom. 

It took two years before their proposed plan for this roll out was approved, all part of the due diligence of their SDS. One of the roadblocks they had encountered to approval was minimizing their budget while keeping the quality of their implementation and the amount of time that this would take up. A lot of questions were asked of them: Where would they find the budget? Were there donations?  

Come 2022, when the Team Leaders became more familiar with the concepts of inclusive education and built up their capacity through training provided by the KaISA Project, their plans were eventually approved. Teacher Iyasmen quipped that perhaps this was the reason why their plan was eventually approved. They finally rolled out these trainings, with the strong support of SDS Macabundar who deeply believed in the potential of all children and saw this initiative to create meaningful change for them. 

Inclusive educational practices are essential 

Teacher Iyasmen says that applying the concepts of inclusive education is important to recognize the uniqueness of every learner and ensuring that no one is left behind. This goal can only be effectively attained by catering to them based on their specific characteristics that made them unique. 

“Sa akin po, actually, isang nakikita ko na kailangan ito ma-share sa field, kasi unang-una, nandyan na yan eh. May mga [nakilala] na kami, during kasi sa mapping, na may mga bata na [learners with disabilities]. So, kung hindi nila alam… Eh di paano nila i-hahandle yung mga bata? Tapos kung hindi nila alam yung mga terms na dapat gamitin, yung mga [inclusive] languages? Papaano na, ma-bubully yung mga bata… [Dapat] at least aware yung mga teacher na hindi ito dapat, yung mga aware siya sa mga do’s and don’ts. So kahit papaano, maka-help. And then isa pa na as in… nag-udyok sa akin is yung mga training, nag-sink in sa akin is kung ang application mo sa mga regular learners is yung pang-[learners with disabilities], kung [learners with disabilities] nga natututo sila, how much more kung doon mo i-apply yun sa mga regular? So para sa akin, as in ma-aattain yung goal na ‘no child left behind’... Hindi mo talaga sila maiiwan eh, kasi nga differentiated yung instruction.” 

(For me, actually, one reason why I see this as important to share in the field, is because first, it’s already here. During the mapping (referring to the 20 Days to Reach Every Child Campaign), we have already encountered [children with disabilities. So, if they’re not aware… how will they handle these children? And if they don’t know [inclusive language]? Then these children will get bullied… Teachers will at least be aware that there are terms you are not supposed to use, be aware that there are dos and don’ts. So, this would help somehow. And one more thing that encouraged me is during the trainings, in sank in that if the application you have for regular learners is that of for [learners with disabilities], if [learners with disabilities] can learn, how much more if this is applied to regular learners? So, for me, to truly attain the goal of ‘no child left behind’… you really won’t leave them behind, because there is differentiated instruction.)

However, Teacher Iyasmen acknowledges that initiating an effort of this scale is not that simple. Having gone through the complex process herself, she knew that they were only able to succeed with a myriad of factors that happened to fall into place at the same time. Still, she emphasizes that making inclusive education happen is truly worth it to contribute to creating an inclusive Bangsamoro.  

For her, sometimes, all it takes is going back to the ‘why’ – and the ‘why’ is the collective hope the KaISA community has for every learner in the Bangsamoro. Though it may take a long time – five years, ten years, or fifteen years – Teacher Iyasmen is certain that change is possible, as long as one is willing to commit. 

Iyasmen Dandamun is the current Special Education (SPED) Focal Person of the School Division Office of Lanao del Sur, headed by Schools Division Superintendent Rubina Mimbantas Macabundar. She is serving as a Team Leader in the KaISA Project, alongside other Team Leaders mentioned who spearheaded the roll-out in their school division. Logistics and secretariat support were also provided by Janice Rivera and Lafayette Ampatua. 

In 2011, the Bangsamoro Ministry of Basic, Higher and Technical Education (MBHTE-BARMM) established the order, “Adopting the National Indigenous Peoples (IP) Education Policy Framework,” which aims to provide access to quality education that equitably caters to IP learners. This is in recognition of the role of education “as a necessary means to realize other human rights and fundamental freedoms”. 

For IP learners, accessing quality education that is inclusive of their identity and needs is among their priorities. MBHTE Bureau of Indigenous Peoples’ Education (IPED) Imelda Sombrito puts an emphasis on the importance of IP participation, inclusion, and empowerment not only within the classroom and school, but in the way education itself is designed. In her experience, education is not only a need that must be addressed in itself – it is also a tool that provides a cultural value to IP communities. 

What can inclusive education look like for IP learners and their communities? 

Reaching IP communities through inclusive education  

Sombrito has had a lot of experience working with IP communities in the education space, having worked with whole generations of IPs. She describes working with them as a “big challenge”:   

“Most of them, kakilala. What makes it challenging is working with other (school) divisions. [The] reality is not all divisions can be entered if walang pahintulot. Hindi makukuha ang suporta [kung] you yourself wala kang rapport with them. Working with the IPs is a privilege and challenge: privilege, because I got firsthand information on [their] processes, [on] their challenges within their community, within society and locality. [The] challenge – paano marating? Paano mabigyan ng magandang education?”

(Most of them are people we know. What makes it challenging is working with other (school) divisions. [The] reality is not all divisions can be entered if you don’t get permission. You will not get their support if you yourself do not have any rapport with them. Working with the IPs is a privilege and challenge: privilege, because I got firsthand information on [their] processes, [on] their challenges within their community, within society and locality. [The] challenge – how can we reach them? How can we provide quality education?) 

For her, one of the strongest solutions is the MBHTE’s Inclusive Schools Approach supported by the Australian Government aimed towards providing inclusive education for every learner in BARMM. When inclusive education exists in one community, all learners can know that they are part of that.  

Cultural preservation stands out as one of the priorities of the IP sector, which is critical especially given the threat of cultural erasure caused by their fading oral traditions, the primary way by which indigenous cultural values are passed down from generation to generation. The gradual fade of the practice of oral traditions in IP communities may come as a result of factors among which are social exclusion and socioeconomic poverty. These factors put a strain on community relationships, especially for young IP learners who may have a limited understanding of their cultural history. Sombrito emphasizes that cultural preservation as part of inclusive educational practices provide an opportunity for IP learners to understand their place in the world in the context of their ancestral history and fosters a deeper sense of connection to one’s roots. This enables IP learners achieve self-realization and self-acceptance and be empowered to learn and create the future they want for themselves.  

“This is one way of keeping our children grounded in their unique culture. Kailangan malaman ang pinagmulan. (We must understand our history.) We are worthless without it.” 

Cultural preservation in inclusive education starts with the community. To truly manifest inclusive education for IP learners, their communities must be included in the design process and have a consensus on what this looks like for them. “Kailangan malaman mo (You must learn) everything about them and respect it and help them materialize their culture.”  

For Sombrito, the establishment of Inclusive and Supportive Centers of Learning (ISCL) is a way to manifest this vision for inclusive education.

“Having the ISCL within the community itself, it already has a personal touch. We work with teachers and the community. Hinihingi natin sa kanila kung anong gusto nilang makita dun. Sila mismo, alam nila kung anong dapat makita dun... Pagpasok sa ISCL, nakikita yung gamit na amin sa classroom. There’s a sense of ownership. Mabibigay yung value of owning that ISCL. Sila nag-isip, [so] they themselves, they have an obligation to protect it. They have a sense of pride.”

(Having the ISCL within the community itself, it already as a personal touch. We work with teachers and the community. We ask them what they want to see in it. They themselves know what should be present there… When they enter the ISCL, they see things in the classroom that are familiar to them. There’s a sense of ownership. They will receive the value of owning that ISCL. They came up with it, [so] they themselves, they have an obligation to protect it. They have a sense of pride.) 

Realizing inclusive education takes time and a united community 

Imelda Sombrito strongly advocates for involving and consistently ensuring that IP are represented in any initiative that intends to serve their community. This can only be achieved by taking the lead in reaching out and coming from a place of understanding and respect when listening to their needs and help them materialize the future that they aspire for. 

For her, inclusive education for IP learners must have interconnectivity, because IP learners are not one-dimensional.

“Just imagine an IP with a disability, living in an unreachable area. That’s injustice. It’s our responsibility – not only parents, teachers, principals – all of us have a contribution sa pagpapalaki sa bata (in raising a child). Mamumulat ang bawat isa sa (Everyone will be enlightened through) inclusive education. [The] entire community is able to help.” 

As the saying goes, “It takes a village to raise a child.” Reaching every child is the responsibility not only of the parent nor only of the teacher or school; to truly nurture every child, the entire community to create a world that is inclusive of their identity and makes them feel that they belong. By making inclusive education happen, communities can come together to bring this vision to reality.