“Passing through the footbridge in Barangay Tubig Tanah was very scary especially when you are not used to it. Despite that, I continued the survey because I am committed to it.” This was a sentiment shared by one of the field enumerators in Tawi-Tawi when they took the initiative to implement the 20-Day Campaign to Reach Every Child, an initiative of the Ministry of Basic, Higher and Technical Education (MBHTE) supported by the Australian Government, with the goal of documenting learners with functional difficulties in far-flung and difficult to access areas of the island.  

This field enumerator was not alone in being afraid of travelling to remote and unfamiliar territories such as Barangay Tubig Tanah – fears that were warranted, considering the difficult passages that they had to go through. Some field enumerators specifically identified Luuk Siabon as one of the more challenging journeys they had to make as part of the campaign, requiring a boat ride and a 40-minute motorcycle ride through a rugged terrain that could only be caught either at the crack of dawn or at sundown. To accomplish what they needed to do, they had to catch the rides early in the morning. 

This is only one of the challenges that the field enumerators of School Division Office (SDO) Tawi-Tawi encountered as they set out to conduct household interviews with families of learners with functional difficulties. Remote areas such as those in Tawi-Tawi are faced with the challenge of providing quality education to learners here, especially with the many (figurative and literal) roadblocks that they may face.  

Despite these challenges they faced for 20 days, SDO Tawi-Tawi field enumerators would still choose to continue what they had started here until they have reached every child. What makes inclusive education this important for the island of Tawi-Tawi that it is worth going the distance for? 

Getting to know Tawi-Tawi  

The field enumerators of SDO Tawi-Tawi learned learnt many things about this place and the people who resided within it, despite having served here. The campaign served as an opportunity for them to bridge what they already knew about their school community and the context of the larger community they belonged to. This was essential not only for the goal of making inclusive education happen here, but especially in getting to know what was needed to truly reach every child who seeks to learn.  

In Barangay Tubig Tanah, children of the Samah Badjao tribe often ended up not receiving any formal education. This was common amongst Badjao families living in the areas of Pag-asa. During the campaign, the field enumerators learned learnt that this was caused by the parents’ fear that enrolling their children in school will only expose them to bullying. One of the parents claimed, “We, the Badjao Samah, are always bullied.”  

Having learned learnt the challenges that indigenous learners with functional difficulties, the field enumerators found valuable insights about Samah Badjao children and their families. These insights helped inform the KaISA Project’s understanding of the intersectional experiences that indigenous children with functional difficulties may have.  

The challenges that they encountered in the campaign implementation tested the abilities of the field enumerators. However, beyond this, what they have learned learnt about their communities is invaluable and helped them connect with people who were hindered from accessing quality education. These field enumerators proved themselves to not only be determined teachers, but also capable advocates for inclusive education that are ready to face challenges to reach every child. 

Issues and difficulties can often be the reason why most people decide not to pursue certain goals; but for the field enumerators of Tawi-Tawi at least, they see this as an opportunity. Challenges are opportunities to serve, to understand, and most of all – to make a meaningful change for the children of the island who want an education to reach a brighter future not only for themselves, but also for the communities to which they belong. 

When communicating what inclusive education is to people who may have not yet heard of it and what role it plays in school communities, the message may not immediately come across. This is especially true in a context where disability is not yet fully accepted and has yet to be understood.  

The primary goal of the Ministry of Basic, Higher and Technical Education-led pilot 20-Day Campaign to Reach Every Child supported by the Australian Government was to document and locate learners with functional difficulties and understand their current situation in relation to accessing quality education. In the process, it also became a campaign to promote awareness of how school communities can be inclusive of learners with disabilities by word of mouth. This was how the selected field enumerators of each school division office championed inclusive education wherever they went during the campaign. 

For the field enumerators of School Division Office (SDO) Maguindanao del Norte (then called Maguindanao I), conducting interviews with parents of learners with functional difficulties was a challenge in itself; however, they also understood that making inclusive education happen was only possible when members of the school community understood how to be inclusive of each person, regardless of their identity and background.  

Connecting with parents of learners in SDO Maguindanao I 

When the field enumerators of SDO Maguindanao I first explained their intentions for the interviews they were conducting as part of the campaign, there were parents who were wary and resistant to these efforts. Some parents had negative reactions towards the insinuation that their children may have disabilities – a reaction to be anticipated from those who live in communities where disability has a cultural stigma.  

It can be a challenge to reach out to people who share this kind of mindset, especially when it also comes from a place of fear and protectiveness in a world where having a disability can result to exclusion, bullying, and other forms of discrimination. The field enumerators understood this. One of the enumerators said, “I sympathize with them. Parents are the ones who are hurt the most when their children are bullied.”  

The seemingly opposing views of the field enumerators and the parents were treated not as a conflict, but as a chance to connect. Though their views may differ on the surface, on a deeper level, they had a shared interest: to protect the children and make sure that they had a bright future ahead of them and that they felt safe and respected. Learning this, the field enumerators realized that empathy is the first step to genuinely connecting with the parents and making sure that their children received everything they needed to be supported and included in education. 

To address this, their team collaborated with the Barangay Maslabeng government and were provided with logistical support by allowing their barangay hall and facilities to be used for data gathering. Elementary schools also became sites for data gathering here, which the field enumerators took as an opportunity to conduct interviews with parents and their children who came to the schools to enroll.  

In Barangay Poblacion II, one parent offered their home as a place where interviews can be conducted. This made it easier for enumerators to collect data by letting respondents come to them instead of having to walk around the neighborhood searching for them. Sharrif Aguak Central Elementary School also extended their help to the team by providing snacks for the field enumerators to re-energize between interviews.  

The 20-Day Campaign to Reach Every Child and the experiences of SDO Maguindanao I during its implementation proves the importance of community collaboration and how it paves the way for inclusive education to take root here. These barangays are two of many BARMM communities who are ready to take the initiative to champion inclusive education for a brighter future not only for their children but also for the noble of cause of creating an inclusive society. 

Genuine connections take the vision of inclusive education far 

At the core of this advocacy, educators serve as the heart that gives life to the long-term goal of making education inclusive for all kinds of learners. Inclusive education is a long-haul commitment; but to bring this vision into reality, it entails many steps in the present and the immediate future. 

These steps can only be made when every member of the community – including those who may see the world differently – is part of the action. To ensure that they are included in this process, as the field enumerators of SDO Maguindanao I proved, connecting with people where they are at plays a crucial role. Though it may be a small act of kindness, genuine empathy and patience with everyone in the community will go far. 

“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.

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.) 

Inclusive education’s impact in TCES 

Implementing inclusive education oftentimes involves a meticulous process that invites you to deeply reflect on the meaning of inclusion for your own community. This is especially important because defining inclusion can vary from community to community. 

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. 

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.) 

Putting what we learn into action 

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

Mistakes are opportunities to learn – everyone knows this, but not everyone does learn. At the same time, not everyone also gains the access to opportunities that would help them learn the important lessons that empower educators to be champions for inclusive education for all learners.

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. 

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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).