PIA Press Release
Sunday, January 29, 2012

Early registration day in Samar includes children with disabilities

CATBALOGAN CITY, Samar, Jan. 29 (PIA) -- Special children with special needs were among the first registrants in the Jan. 28 Early Registration Day in Catbalogan 1 Central Elementary School, Catbalogan City, Samar.

Lourdes Estrada, Principal of the Special Education (SPED) Center said they have opened the registration center as early as 6 a.m. until 6p.m. to make sure that all clients will be given ample time to visit them.

Hearing impaired ‘Paul,’ (not his real name) was scouted by teacher Pilar Mabutol, who went on a ‘child finding’ spree in the different barangays in Catbalogan just to make sure that no one is left out.

Paul is excited to go to school just like his other siblings who are physically fit to go to the regular elementary school.

“Some parents whose children have disabilities are not very keen in sending the kids to school,” said a Special Education (SPED) teacher.

“That is the reason why we are the ones who look for them in every barangay and when found, convince the parents to send the child to us,” said Estrada.

“Once the children are able to cope up, we enroll them in mainstream school,” added Estrada.

Close to a hundred children with disabilities and giftedness have kept the 13 SPED teachers busy throughout the whole day processing their enrolment.

Meanwhile, in the same campus, Nicefora Diaz, principal of mainstream school has also listed almost 200 enrollees.

Like Estrada, she also urged her teachers to report to school to make sure that all who come will be entertained.

One such client was mother Marlyn, tagging along six-year-old Nina Angela Nasinopa who will be in Grade 1 this coming school year. The mother brought along with her a copy of her child’s certificate of live birth which is a requirement for enrolment.

Estrada said that if the mother did not bring along all the requirements, her child will still be enrolled as she can just come back to submit the requirements at a later date.

Quoting Department of Education Secretary Armin Luistro, Estrada said, “Every learner should be in school whether they are able or differently-abled.” (PIA-8)