“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.

Inclusive education is a significant step (in itself, also made of many steps) toward paving a just world for everyone, with no exceptions. In the impact it creates, one thing is often overlooked: within the passion of every advocate that seeks to make the world a better place, and that believes that it will happen, the community is often fostered as an unintended consequence.

As part of the KaISA Project’s implementation — led by the Bangsamoro Ministry of Basic, Higher and Technical Education (MBHTE) — to strengthen education systems towards inclusive education for all learners in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), Timanan Central Elementary School (TCES) accepted the challenge to co-create a pilot Inclusive and Supportive Centre of Learning (ISCL) that is responsive to the contextual needs of learners. This was enacted through ‘Pintakasi’, or ‘bayanihan’, which refers to the Filipino cultural behavior where an entire community comes together for a common cause. TCES practiced this through enabling collaboration among the school community by taking a whole-of-community approach, where the TCES school community fully demonstrated their open-mindedness and willingness to contribute.

With support from the Australian Government through the Education Pathways to Peace in Mindanao (‘the Pathways program’), this ISCL facility was launched on 23 May 2023, following the guidance of the project’s Human-Centered Design Thinking Approach.

Transforming through learning about inclusive education

When TCES first encountered the KaISA Project or the Inclusive Schools Approach (ISA) during the Division Education Planning and Development activity of the MBHTE, the newly introduced concepts were intimidating to them. The teachers were confused with the new terminologies and mindsets the partner implementing organizations laid out for them. Grade 5 Teacher Rubirosa “Ruby” Baron admitted that, at first, everything was so confusing for her.

“Now, you can foresee that it’s done, it’s already here. So, what we did (referring to the outputs of the co-designing sessions), that’s it. That’s what will be inside the hub. What’s left is the finishing touches. We’re ready for the launching. So, for everyone who has their assignments, let’s make sure to do our part to follow our timeline. Let’s help one another. No one will help us except ourselves. We’ve already been given the guidance to make this happen. We can do this,” Teacher Ruby declared.

For Rolet Joy Romero, a grade 6 teacher, initially interpreted the ISCL as a classroom.

“I thought that the ISCL was a classroom. So, we didn’t anticipate that the ISCL was this hub. I really didn’t know that this was a hub. We thought, I thought, and most of us thought that this was a classroom,” Teacher Rolet shared.

TCES Principal Lourdes Germo also felt what other teachers felt when she attended the training for the first time. ISA and what it aimed to do for Timanan and the rest of BARMM had not yet reached Timanan before this event.

“Fellow teachers, like you, we also went through the same as you when we attended the training for the first time. We also didn’t know anything about the ISCL. So that’s why we suggested having more trainings for those other teachers who are not able to attend so they can also have an idea of what the ISCL is. Because you, fellow teachers, those who can attend already know this program. Help us share this with our co-teachers, even our pupils, and our parents. Let’s help one another to achieve this. And the tasks that were assigned to us, let’s also help one another. There is no leader, there is no teacher, we are all on the same level, for the good of our program,” Principal Germo said.

Despite all these initial reactions to the ISA, TCES decided to continue attending the sessions being organized by the KaISA Project. As they continued, they began to grasp each concept of the ISA and inclusive education and saw the value that this would bring to their school community. This inevitably formed them into active KaISA Champions, which they voiced during the conclusion of the Pilot Testing and Simulation Activity for the pilot ISCL, led by the MBHTE.

Making inclusive education happen strengthens a community

Designing and launching the ISCL was no easy task, and this could not be done alone. Among the remarkable things that the TCES leaders of the pilot ISCL achieved was organizing their community to build the ISCL together. More than a culmination of what the TCES school community had achieved with its partner implementing organizations, it was also a representation of what inclusion looked like: a celebration of diversity, of everything that made people unique, and of all the things people can achieve when they come together.

In creating the physical space of the ISCL, TCES educators, some individuals, and partner organizations contributed materials to complete it to actualize their vision of what an inclusive classroom looks like. All these were contributed by various individuals and organizations that support the TCES school community in their endeavor to make inclusive education a reality in their school. These are TCES educators, the MBHTE Directorate for Basic Education and its Bureau Directors, the Pathways program, and The Teacher’s Gallery, and other individuals.

Another highlight of the transformation that the ISCL inspired throughout South Upi is the local ordinance that was signed during the ISCL Launching. This ordinance, titled, “The KaISA Ordinance to Reach Every Child,” officially cements the commitment of South Upi to support the implementation of the ISA and ISCL for all learners in the municipality.

Remarkable as well is the monetary support that all schools in South Upi cumulatively raised to make the launch of the ISCL successful — a total of PHP 231,000 for ISCL launch preparations, food, decoration, labor, and other materials.

Moving toward the future of inclusive education

Fast forward to June 2023, the KaISA Project proceeded with further co-developing the ISCL by delving into the applications of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles in the context of the Bangsamoro. This packaged the training resources that the project had provided in its past trainings on the foundations of the Inclusive Schools Approach to standardize and simplify the content, process, and expand the reach of the training program. This is in recognition of UDL as a critical and core competency to further expand the initiative to establish more ISCLs throughout the region and to facilitate the adoption of the ISA across all schools.

Since the commemorative signing during the ISCL Launching, the LGU is further developing the KaISA Ordinance by strengthening this with data management policies to support evidence-based planning for programs catered to learners with diverse needs. This effort will be linked to the Learner Information System (LIS) and Bangsamoro Education Management Information System (BEMIS) to further enable this. This shall also serve as an avenue to establish community linkages for data sharing toward the effective delivery of inclusive social services for all types of learners.

The ISCL of Timanan Central Elementary School will now serve as a model of inclusive practice not only for Timanan, but for all schools in South Upi. Now, when resources, trainings, and referral to other services are needed by diverse learners, the ISCL shall be the standpoint where school communities can learn about inclusive education and see how they can be part of the future of inclusive education in BARMM.

Note: This story was submitted by Cherel Cantay, a Field Enumerator from SDO Lamitan. Her submission has been edited for grammar and accuracy. 

Before I start my story, I just want to express my gratitude for giving me the opportunity as a field enumerator to be part of the KaISA Reach Every Child Campaign. It was such an amazing challenge, adventure and achievement.

[The 20-Day Campaign to Reach Every Child] was a challenge for me. Being a teacher, as part of my career I already had experience with child mapping, but this activity is way [different] from the usual mapping activities. I was trained on how to execute the survey tool, but I still had doubts and felt pressure on the things that could possibly happen in the field. I had to travel for 15 kilometers from my residence since my assigned Barangays is in the town proper. 

I had some difficulties in explaining the content of the survey and clarifying it to the respondents due to language interference since I am not well versed in the Yakan, Tausug and Samal dialects (used by the locals who were interviewed). The weather conditions, heavy rains, slippery roads, footbridges, community misconceptions on the survey as ayuda (cash assistance from the government), 4Ps or scholarship grants, encoding and uploading data through the KaISA Disability Information Management System (DIMS), using gadgets, [intermittent] signal, [unstable] internet connection, and data errors (which were later resolved) were some of the issues I was very concerned with. However, I was able to cope and overcome those challenges. I was glad to solve those concerns with my cooperative Team Leaders and [fellow Field Enumerators]. 

My experience in this campaign was an amazing adventure. I was able to visit new places, meet different people, learn new things, discover the reality of the learners’ situation at home and acquire different stories of children.  Through this activity, I was able to see the situations of the children and how they were striving hard to continue their studies and some children who stopped schooling because of the [responsibilities that they needed to shoulder] to help their parents for family needs and expenses. Based on what I had encountered, it made me think that a teacher should not only see [what happens within] the four corners of the classroom but open their eyes and see the struggles of their learners at home.

And I’m proud to say that I’m one of the enumerators during the 1st [20-Day Campaign to Reach Every Child]! KaISA ako para sa bata, para sa bayan. At sana magkaisa tayo para sa kapakanan ng mga [bata sa Bangsamoro]. (Translation: I stand for children, for our country. And I hope that we stand together for the sake of children in the Bangsamoro.) 

As part of the Bangsamoro Ministry of Basic, Higher, and Technical Education (MBHTE)’s initiative with the support of the Australian Government to promote inclusive education in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) through the KaISA Project (also known as the Inclusive Schools Approach), identifying and locating learners with functional difficulties throughout the region was found to be a priority. To address this, the Child Finding Activity – dubbed as the 20-Day Campaign to Reach Every Child – was organized across all school divisions in the region among which is the School Division Office (SDO) of Lamitan. The implementation in SDO Lamitan was led by Team Leader Ma. Cristina Delos Santos, along with 10 Field Enumerators (composed of educators and school staff). In 20 Days, the team had unearthed many untold stories of children in the Bangsamoro.  

Challenges to reaching every child in Lamitan  

The Field Enumerators of Lamitan experienced many challenges in the pursuit of their goal. Heavy rains, impassable roads, poor internet connection, and power outages were among the difficulties that they had endured.   

However, the major difficulty that they encountered was some families feeling reluctant to take part in the survey, especially given that the members of the team were considered outsiders to their community. To address this barrier between them and the community, the team cooperated with the local community leaders to bridge the connection that they needed.

Eventually, the community warmed up to them, with parents of children with functional difficulties even taking the initiative to pave the way towards gathering the data they needed, acknowledging that this was vital to identify the issues that hinder the children of their community from pursuing education.  

Meanwhile, Badjao children also experienced bullying from their peers, discouraging them from going to school. Some also identified the trauma caused by family conflicts as a struggle that they dealt with. The combination of all these difficulties contributed to mental health issues such as anxiety and depression.   

Members of indigenous groups, especially their children, have experienced historical marginalization that has led to their lack of access to education. Teacher Cristina details these factors: economic poverty, child labor, and geographic isolation. These barriers to education are further compounded by the lack of teachers to serve in impoverished and isolated communities.   

The campaign gave Teacher Cristina a new perspective on what it meant to reach every child through the Child Finding Activity and how it directly addresses the barriers to quality education that indigenous learners encounter. By providing a platform to identify, provide referrals and interventions for learners and teachers alike, it is an opportunity to strategize providing not only educational opportunities but also interventions for poverty that can improve their quality of life such as financial assistance from the Ministry of Social Services and Development.  

Teacher Cristina is dedicated to generating more programs to coach and mentor more educators and school staff to enhance what they had achieved within 20 days. Recognizing that this is only the beginning of making education more inclusive in Lamitan, she is now committed to furthering the reach and impact of the Inclusive Schools Approach.   

Teacher Cristina thinks the activity was the first step in generating programs fitted for learners’ educational and intersectional needs. For her, aside from the campaign, there should also be intervention and assessment in regular schools for more programs promoting inclusion for all learners to be implemented effectively.  

“[The 20-Day Campaign to Reach Every Child] is still our obligation. While we had served [by] enumerating learners in barangays, it was found out that in regular schools, we had learners [who were manifesting functional] difficulties that [needed] to be served prior to addressing needs of regular teachers who are already in mainstreamed classes,” Delos Santos added.   

With the efforts done by SDO Lamitan to provide quality inclusive education to the learners of Lamitan City through the Child Finding Activity, it is important that all sectors of the community must also contribute to make education reach all children and provide effective programs to address their needs.