CHOSEN as the first country in Asia Pacific in the advocacy of promoting inclusive sports, the Special Olympics Pilipinas and Department of Education signed a Memorandum of Understanding last Tuesday to include a program for students with intellectual disabilities at the elementary and high school levels nationwide.
Signing the MOU at the Philippine School for Deaf and Blind covered court were SOP president and former national swimmer Akiko Thomson Guevara, Education Secretary Sonny Angara, Special Olympics Asia Pacific president and managing director Dipak Natali and NCR DepEd director Dr. Jocelyn Andaya.
“Pagdating sa sports, hindi nagpapahuli ang Pilipinas. And we are making history again today to become the first country in the Asia Pacific to join the Global Coalition for Inclusion,” noted Angara of the landmark agreement.
“It is one bold forward-thinking step to transform lives through education, through sports, especially for even those with intellectual disabilities. Hindi lang po ito makasaysayan, ito po ang ating panata,” Angara added.
“As a sports advocate, I was genuinely thrilled when I learned about this collaboration. We have always believed that sports can change lives. It is scientific; you can go ask the scientists because it releases happy hormones,” he said.
Angara said that “at the heart of this new collaboration is the concept of unified sports where learners of all types can learn, play and grow together. Sa unified sports magkasama ang lahat ng learners. Walang diskriminasyon at wala pong paghuhusga.
“They can play together on the same team.”
Angara said this new paradigm shift would affect around 30,000 learners with intellectual disabilities from elementary to high school levels.
“This is a game-changer. This is huge and will require a lot of hard work and teamwork,” Guevara, a former commissioner of the Philippine Sports Commission, said of the deal that will allow the SOP to introduce its plans and programs in all schools all over the country.
With the partnership, the SOP will be able to, among others, “bridge the gap in implementing inclusive education through established programs, resources and platforms; foster a sense of belonging among children and youth with intellectual disabilities; and raise awareness among children from the earliest school age about human rights, tolerance and diversity.”
Present at the agreement signing was Veronica Cruz, senior vice president and business executive officer of Nestlé Philippines, Inc., who thanked both organizations for allowing Milo to be a partner of the project.
“We at Milo are honored and very proud to be part of this milestone celebration. This day is making an important step, a very, very important step to winning sports inclusivity in the country,” Cruz stressed.
“Milo is very committed to ensuring that no one is left behind. That is why we are proud to be a partner of Special Olympics Pilipinas, a leader in fostering inclusive sports with people with intellectual disabilities,” she said.
