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In the corners and streets of our 36 barangays in Placer, Masbate, I notice children whose voices were rarely heard, given less importance, and whose potential remained locked behind their own doors.

Since time immemorial, a silent gap existed in our educational landscape: there was no education program for these children with special needs, which in some towns is called “Special Needs Education (SNED) program. 

For decades, children with physical and neurological disabilities were either roaming around or staying at home until they grew old, neglected not out of malice, but out of a lack of knowledge, resources, and focused concern.

As a woman, a mother, and a Project Development Officer I for the Placer East and West Districts, my heart broke at this sight. When I arrived in Placer in July 2025, after serving in Dimasalang, the contrast was jarring.  

Dimasalang, a smaller town, had an established program for these children. I kept asking myself: “How can a town as large as ours, with two central schools and dozens of barangay schools, leave these children behind?”

If it were my child or my kin facing a disability, I couldn’t allow them to grow without seeing life at its best in this very town. Just as I did when I was a pioneer nursery teacher at Adventist Academy Cebu several years ago. I didn’t refuse those parents who came to school with their scared children hiding behind their skirts, children who couldn’t stay in one place, and children who find learning too difficult. I didn't have all the answers for those mothers then, but I had the faith to say 'yes' when others said 'no.'

Even without the experience yet, I believe there were ways. That we could create learning  programs specific to them. And my faith turned to answered prayers. 

The Compassion

The motivation to establish a change did not come from a manual or a mandate alone; it came from the love of Jesus that compels me. 

Jesus intentionally reached the marginalized, vulnerable, and excluded. And I believe our whole duty is to follow His example — to reach the unreachable and teach the "unteachable." Every child has a right to be loved, educated, and given the chance to live a life with dignity, regardless of their physical or neurological condition.

This conviction became my mission, awakening the missionary spirit within me—a calling to venture into uncharted territory and share the love of Jesus, even with those the world labeled as “hopeless” or less valued. 

As a Project Development Officer, I understood my responsibility: to become the bridge connecting these children to the resources and opportunities they so desperately deserved.

Building the Bridge from Scratch

Recognizing that the Department of Education could not bridge this gap alone, I utilized my position to cultivate strategic linkages and build a support ecosystem. I personally spearheaded the preparation and processing of all essential documentation for the Division Office while actively seeking out transformative partnerships. 

By engaging the Local Government Unit (LGU) to secure vital institutional and financial backing, collaborating with the DSWD to align essential social services with our educational goals, and reaching out to various stakeholders, I worked to establish a community of support that views inclusive education not as a solitary task but as a collaboration of moral responsibility.

Beforehand, I also conducted a rigorous review of the Department of Education’s SNED implementation guidelines, benchmarking them against the established programs I had witnessed in my previous assignments. After presenting the urgent need to my School Heads and Public Schools District Supervisors, I spearheaded a comprehensive 'Child Finding' initiative in coordination with district and school coordinators.

To bridge the gap between policy and reality, I utilized the DepEd Multi-Factored Assessment Tool (MFAT) for initial screenings and collaborated with the Rural Health Unit (RHU) for physical assessments. 

Recognizing that resources were the biggest hurdle, I conducted courtesy calls with the Municipal Mayor and the Chairperson of the Education Committee, successfully securing financial support for professional cognitive assessments. I personally managed the logistics—from scheduling psychologists to identifying qualified teachers per Division instructions—and culminated the process with a formal orientation for parents and learners. 

By adhering to DepEd standards, we transformed empty spaces into standard-compliant physical facilities, finally giving these learners a place to call home.

Innovation Through Resilience

What makes this initiative stand out is the "zero-to-one" approach. I wasn’t just improving an existing program; I was pioneering one where there was none. I introduced a systematic approach to identifying learners and began the arduous yet rewarding task of capacity-building for our teachers, ensuring they are equipped with the patience and pedagogical skills required for Special Needs Education.

The challenges were many—the lack of specialized facilities and the initial "lack of motivation" in the community. But by God’s grace, we addressed these by showing the faces of the children behind the data. We turned statistics into stories, and stories into a movement.

A New Dawn for Placer

Today, those more than 50 learners are no longer just "roaming around." They are now being seen. They are being assessed. They are being given a path. The program has not only benefited the children but also provided parents with a sense of relief and hope, who once thought their children’s futures were a dead end.

This coming 2026-2027 school year, the SNED program will officially open at Celera Inocencio Central School, Tomas M. Conde Central School, and Melecio and Rafael Lecciones Elementary School. 

At this time of writing, I accompanied a child with a cleft lip and palate, a condition that slowly killed the child’s self-esteem and has subjected him to bullying. By connecting with support groups that sponsored the family’s travel costs, including my co-workers at Tomas M. Conde Central School, he became one of the kids who underwent free lip and palate reconstructive surgery. This massive medical mission for the clefts is facilitated by Rotaplast International, Abounding in Love Foundation, Adventist Hospital-Cebu, and partners. 

This child would go home, not just with a smile on his lips, but a sense of love, belongingness, and acceptance. 

Reflection of a "Dakilang Nagpakakababae"

Being a "Dakilang Babae" is not about holding a title; it is about the "Nagpakakababae" aspect—the nurturing, the persistence, and the refusal to abandon the most vulnerable.

Establishing SNED in Placer taught me that inclusive education is the truest form of social justice and answering to a mission call. God can use even ordinary people like me in making a difference to the lives of countless individuals whose cries of agony also reach His ears. 

I appeal to my fellow educators and leaders not to be afraid to start small or from nothing. If your heart is fueled by the desire to serve what Jesus said as "the least of these my brethren," the resources will follow, and the doors will open.

We are not just developing a project; we are developing lives. We are proving that in the town of Placer, no child—no matter their disability—is ever truly unteachable.

By Julie Ann S. Ibot, as told to Lyn Lucero