NATION

Only 37% of learners with disabilities have formal diagnoses — EDCOM2

Lisa Marie Apacible · Nov 7, 2026, 2:04 PM

CLASSROOM NEED. Students attend classes at Ciudad Nuevo Elementary School in Naic, Cavite, where continuing enrollment growth and limited learning spaces have intensified the need for additional classrooms. Photo courtesy of Municipality of Naic. — LGU NAIC CAVITE

Only 36.6 percent of public-school learners recorded with disabilities have formal diagnoses, with some regions having just one developmental pediatrician for tens of thousands of diagnosed learners, according to the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2).

An analysis of Department of Education (DepEd) data for School Year 2025-2026 found that 180,519 of 492,902 learners with disabilities had formal diagnoses, while 312,383 were identified through observed manifestations that do not constitute clinical diagnoses.

EDCOM 2 Executive Director Karol Mark Yee said the ratio of developmental pediatricians to formally diagnosed learners reached one to 37,068 in Region 5 and one to 24,728 in Region 12.

"Based on learners with formal diagnosis alone, we see the extreme need to proactively address our shortage in Development Pediatricians, with ratios reaching as high as 1:37,068 in Region 5 and 1:24,728 in Region 12," Yee said.

"This is of great concern because learners do not just need diagnosis but continued support also from specialists," he added.

The shortage is compounded by the uneven distribution of specialists across the country. Data from the Philippine Society for Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics (PSDBP) showed that the Philippines had only 109 certified developmental pediatricians as of June 2026, despite an estimated five million learners with disabilities.

Of the 156 regional clinic listings, 74, or 47 percent, were in the National Capital Region (NCR), 24 in CALABARZON and 18 in Central Luzon.

The Visayas accounted for only 7.7 percent of regional listings, while Mindanao had 9 percent. Bicol, MIMAROPA, Eastern Visayas and SOCCSKSARGEN each had one listed specialist, while none were listed in Caraga and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

The disparity translates to one developmental pediatrician for every 3,096 learners needing support in Luzon, compared with one for every 8,718 in the Visayas and one for every 11,127 in Mindanao.

The regional figures total 156 because 42 of the 109 certified specialists practice in more than one region.

Davao Region recorded the highest number of learners with disabilities at 60,257, but only 29% had formal diagnoses. CALABARZON followed with 58,272 learners and NCR with 46,382.

Only NCR, CALABARZON and Central Luzon had more learners with formal diagnoses than those identified through observed manifestations.