More education funds for disabled, IPs sought

BAGUIO CITY, Philippines – More funds are being sought for the education of the country’s indigenous peoples and persons with disabilities, among the country's most disadvantaged sectors.

Ifugao Rep. Teodoro Baguilat Jr. vows to  work closely with the Department of Education in the next Congress.

According to the Education department, there are three million children of school age who are unable to access basic education despite the increase in the number of classrooms built and the public school teachers hired for the current school year.

“I am sure that many of these children who are unable to go to school are IPs and PWDs, the most left behind and marginalized sectors in our society,” said Baguilat, current chairperson of the House committee on National Cultural Communities.

As of the last school year, 20.7 million students entered public schools, the Dep-ed added.

Classroom shortage has been pegged at 34,131 while teacher shortage was estimated at 61,500.

In remote areas where the IPs live, there are also lack of education facilities, thus further putting these IPs in the fringes of society, Baguilat said.

The Ifugao lawmaker said he wants to help DepEd bring more teachers and build more classrooms in remote IP villages such as the forests of Sierra Madre where the Dumagat people live and the small islands of Palawan where the Mamanwa people are.

“Also, when Secretary Luistro signed the IP education framework, among the thrusts was to craft a curriculum that would be appropriate to the cultural practices, traditions and innate knowledge of the IPs," Baguilat said.

He added that he plans to help the DepEd secure a bigger budget in 2014.

He will also file a bill to revive  national scholarship programs for IPs and to require state universities to devote at least 10 percent of their scholarship funds for IPs.

“The University of the Philippines, for example, should have more IP students. But sadly, its socialized tuition fee scheme that allows poorer students to avoid paying any tuition makes it hard for IPs to cope with the requirements. There are just too many documents being asked of them,” said Baguilat, a UP alumnus.