Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Timeline History of Special Education in The Philippines
Timeline History of Special Education in The Philippines
Timeline History of Special Education in The Philippines
❖ 1936-- Mrs. Maria Villa Francisco was appointed as the first Filipino Principal of the
school for the deaf and the blind (SDB).
❖ 1945—The National Orthopedic Hospital opened its school for Crippled Children
(NOHSCC) for young patients who had to be hospitalized for long periods of
time
❖ 1949—Inauguration of the Quezon City Science High School for gifted students
The Philippine Foundation for the Rehabilitation of the Disabled (PFRD)
was organized.
❖ 1950—Philippine Association for the Deaf opened a school for children with
hearing impairment
❖ 1954, the first week of August was declared as Sight Saving Week.
❖ 1955—the private sector supported the government’s program for disabled Filipinos
Elks Cerebral palsy Project Incorporated was organized by the members of Lodge
No. 761 of the Benevolent and Protective Order.
❖ 1956- the First Summer Institute on teaching the Deaf was held at the School for the Deaf
and the Blind in Pasay City
❖ 1957—the Bureau of Public Schools (BPS) of the Department of Education and Culture
(DEC) created the Special Education Section of the Special Subjects and services
Division
The components of the special education programs included
• Legislation
• Teacher training
• Census of exceptional children and youth in schools and
community
• The integration of children with disabilities in regular classes
• Rehabilitation or residential and special schools and
materials production
• Baguio Vacation Normal School ran courses on teaching children
with handicaps.
• Baguio City Special Education Center was organized
❖ 1958—the American Foundation for Overseas Blind (AFOB) opened its regional
office in Manila
❖ 1960—some private colleges and universities started the offer special education
courses in their graduate school curriculum.
❖ 1962, the manila Youth and Rehabilitation Center (MYRC) was opened
• DEC issued Circular NO. 11 s. 1962 that specific the “Qualifications of
Special Education teachers.”
• PFRD sponsored the Second Pan Pacific Rehabilitation of handicapped persons
• Experimental integration of blind children at the Jose Rizal Elementary School in
Pasay City
• The first National Seminar in Special Education was held at SBD in Pasay City
• St. Joseph of Cupertino School for the Mentally Retarded, a private school,
was founded.
• In the areas of hearing impairment, mental retardation and mental giftedness
under RA 5250, the Training of DEC teacher scholars at the University of the
Philippines commenced
• The Philippine General Hospital opened classes for its school-age chronically ill
patients.
❖ 1965—marked the start of the training program fro school administrators on the
organization, administration and supervision of special education classes
❖ 1968—the teacher training program for teachers of exceptional children was held at the
Philippine Normal College for the next ten years
• The First Asian Conference on Work for the Blind was held in Manila
❖ 1974, the First National Conference on the Rehabilitation of the Disabled was held at the
Social Security Building in Quezon City
❖ 1975, when the DEC reorganized into the Ministry of Education Culture (MEC)
• The Special Subjects and Services Division was abolished
❖ 1976, Proclamation 1605 declared 1977 to1987 as the Decade of the Filipino Child
• The First Camp Pag-ibig, a day camp for handicapped children was held on
Valentine’s Day in Balara Quezon City
❖ 1977, MEC issued Department Order N. 10 that designated regional and division
supervisors of special education programs
• The West Visayas Stae College of Iloilo City started its teacher training program
and offered scholarships to qualified teachers
• The Bacarra Special Education Center, Division of Ilocos Sur and the
Bacolod Special Education Center, Division of Bacolod City opened.
❖ 1980—the School for Crippled Children at Southern Island Hospital in Cebu City
was organized
• United nations Assemby proclaimed the observance of theInternational
Year of Disabled persons
❖ 1982—three special schools were opened
• Cebu State College Special High School for the Deaf
• Siaton Special Education Center in the Division of Negros Oriental
• St. John Maria de Vianney Special Education learning center in
Quezon City
❖ 1983, Batas Pambansa 344 enacted the Accessibility Law
• Batac Special education Center in the Division of Ilocos Norte was organized
❖ 1990—establishment of the Philippine Institute for the Deaf (PID) an oral school
for children with hearing impairment
❖ 1993—DEC issued Order No. 14 that directed regional offices to organized the
Regional Special Education Council (RESC)