Pasay City: The Philippines has made significant strides in promoting inclusive sports within educational institutions, becoming the first nation in the Asia Pacific region to do so. This development comes as the Department of Education (DepEd) established a partnership with Special Olympics Pilipinas, marking a historic day for the country's educational and sports sectors.
According to Philippines News Agency, the partnership was formalized through the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) at the Philippine School for the Deaf. DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara highlighted the initiative's importance, noting that the Philippines is now part of the Special Olympics Global Coalition for Inclusion. Secretary Angara emphasized how this aligns with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.'s directives for inclusive education across the nation.
The initiative will focus on introducing a culture of 'unified sports,' which promotes participation among learners with and without intellectual disabilities. Angara noted that this approach aims to tackle issues such as aggression, bullying, and discrimination, allowing all types of learners to train, play, and grow together.
Special Olympics Pilipinas Chairperson Akiko Thomson-Guevarra expressed her enthusiasm for the program's potential impact, citing the MOU as a significant step toward nationwide implementation. The organization plans to train approximately 2,000 DepEd personnel in special sports and sponsor events to nurture the unified sports culture in select public schools. This effort is expected to engage at least 50,000 learners nationwide, fostering an inclusive environment for both learners with and without intellectual disabilities.
Thomson-Guevarra also encouraged participating school division offices to share their insights and best practices from earlier engagements in unified sports, which have been implemented in areas such as Pasay, Las Pi±as, Para±aque, Sta. Rosa, and Bi±an in Laguna. She expressed confidence in the positive outcomes that these initiatives are anticipated to yield for the youth across the country.
