PWD school seeks partnership with DepEd
MASANTOL - In an aim to further improve the quality of education for special children and persons with disabilities (PWDs), the local government here is now seeking accreditation from the Department of Education (DepEd) for its special learning center.
Together with the non-government organization partner NM Arts and Technology Institute Inc., the DepEd’s approval is expected to help in the advocacy of uplifting the lives of Lingap Masantol’s beneficiaries.
Lingap Masantol is an educational facility that caters to the special
needs— — including mental, physical, social, emotional— — of individuals with mild learning disabilities or profound cognitive impairment.
According to NM Arts and Technology Institute Inc. Managing Director and Lingap Masantol Head Facilitator Leng Nojadera, the learning institution already accommodated at least 30 beneficiaries since it was launched on September 2017.
The number of enrollees are expected to rise this year as it targets all special children and PWDs in the town estimated to be at a thousand, Nojadera added.
“Just by looking at the numbers, we can see the challenge and the recognition and support of DepEd will be of big help in our advocacy to help our brothers and sisters with special needs,” she said.
Nojadera added that the accreditation will also help in involving more stakeholders of Masantol and other concerned communities to support the continuity of the project which might also benefit PWDs and special children in nearby towns.
Mayor Danilo Guintu, who serves as chief sponsor of the socio-civic project, expressed optimism that DepEd Central Luzon will release the accreditation under its Special Education program.
“Lingap Masantol is a partnership between the government and private individuals and organization who want to share some of their resources for the development of special children and PWDs. Apart from the local government of Masantol, I hope we can also involve other government agencies, especially DepEd in this advocacy,” he said.