DepEd Order 030, s. 2025
Inclusive Employment Policy in the Department of Education
SEP 29 2025
DepEd ORDER
No. 030, s. 2025
INCLUSIVE EMPLOYMENT POLICY IN THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
To: Undersecretaries
Assistant Secretaries
Bureau and Service Directors
Minister, Basic, Higher, and Technical Education, BARMM
Regional Directors
Schools Division Superintendents
Public Elementary and Secondary School Heads
All Others Concerned
I. The Department issues the enclosed Inclusive Employment Polley in the Department of Education, in line with Executive Order No. 100, s. 2019, titled Institutionalizing the Diversity and Inclusion Program, Creating an Inter-Agency Committee on Diversity and Inclusion, and for Other Purposes, which mandates the state to cultivate a supportive, collaborative, and inclusive environment to maintain equal opportunities, and Civil Service Commission Memorandum Circular No. 24, s. 2016 titled Program to Institutionalize Meritocracy and Excellence in Human Resource Management (PRIME-HRM) Enhanced Maturity Level Indicators, which requires the institutionalization of the equal employment opportunity principle (EEOP) in all areas of human resource management, along with the various international instruments and national laws, mandates, and policies that protect, support, and provide opportunities at work, regardless of one's age, sex, color, language, disability, gender, religion, race, familial status, ethnicity, political opinion or other forms of opinion, sexual orientation, property, birth, or other status.
2. Through this policy, DepEd commits to integrate the principles of inclusion, diversity, and EEOP in the provision and governance of the Department and shall eliminate all forms of discrimination, especially to individuals from marginalized groups. The Department shall strive to create an inclusive workplace where no one is left behind, and everyone can meaningfully contribute towards the achievement of the organization's vision and mission.
3. This policy is consistent with the Department's vision, mission, values, and mandates.
4. All Orders and other related issuances, rules, regulations, and provisions that are inconsistent with this Order are repealed, rescinded, or modified accordingly.
5. This Order shall take effect immediately upon its approval, issuance, and publication on the DepEd website. This shall be registered with the Office of the National Administrative Register (ONAR) at the University of the Philippines Law Center (UP LC), UP Dillman, Quezon City.
6. For more information and queries, please contact the Bureau of Human Resource and Organizational Development-Employee Welfare Division, 4th Floor, Mabini Building Department of Education Central Office, DepEd Complex, Meralco Avenue, Pasig City through email at bhrod.ewd@deped.gov.ph or at telephone number (02) 8633-7229.
7. Immediate dissemination of and strict compliance with this Order is directed.
(SGD) SONNY ANGARA
Secretary
Encl.:
As stated
To be indicated in the Perpetual Index
under the following subjects:
BUREAUS AND OFFICES
EMPLOYEES
POLICY
PROGRAMS
PROJECTS
OFFICIALS
Enclosure 1 to DepEd Order No. 030 s.2025
INCLUSIVE EMPLOYMENT POLICY IN THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
I. Rationale
1. The Equal Employment Opportunity Principle (EEOP) states that all persons, regardless of age. sex, color. language. disability. gender. religion, color. familial status, ethnicity. political opinion or other forms of opinion, sexual orientation, property, birth or other status have equal opportunities at work. A qualified employee shall not be discriminated with regard to all matters concerning all forms of employment, including conditions of recruitment, hiring and employment, continuance of employment, career advancement, and safe and healthy working conditions.
2. Through the Program to Institutionalize Meritocracy and Excellence in Human Resource Management (PRIME-HRM). the Civil Service Commission (CSC) has taken initiatives to encourage and enforce diversity and inclusion in the human resource (HR) policies of government agencies. HR practices are backed up by laws and regulations that safeguard the fundamental rights and quality of life. as well as workplace rules of individuals from marginalized groups.
3. The CSC Memorandum Circular 24, series of 2016, titled PRIME-HRM, mandates the institutionalization of the EEOP in all areas of human resource management. To maintain an efficient and productive workforce, all barriers and discrimination in all personnel actions and employment decisions must be eliminated. subject to agency needs and requirements, regardless of age, gender identity, sexual orientation, civil status, disability, religion, ethnicity or political affiliation.
4. The Department of Education (DepEd) adopts Inclusive Employment (IE) to ensure the application of its principles in its policies, programs, and systems in accordance with the CSC's protections and support for individuals from marginalized groups, as well as relevant international and Philippine laws and regulations and the inherent benefits of inclusion and diversity.
5. This policy adheres to relevant international statutes and framework, and Philippine Legal Mandates and public policies that promote diversity and inclusion, which include, among others:
a. United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UN CRPD)
b. United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (UN CEDAW)
c. Article II Declaration of Principles and State Policies, section 9 and section 18 of the 1987 Constitution.
d. Republic Act No. 7277. s. 1992 titled the Magna Carta/or Persons with Disability
e. Republic Act No. 9710, s. 2009 titled the Magna Carta of Women
f. Republic Act No. 8371, s. 1997 titled the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act of 1997
g. Republic Act No. 11313, s. 2019 titled Safe Spaces Act
6. This policy also aligns with and supports existing Department Orders (DO) such as DepEd Order No. 32, s. 2017 titled the Gender Responsive Basic Education, and DepEd Order No. 62, s. 2011 titled the National Indigenous Education Policy Framework.
7. This also responds to the findings of various studies that state:
a. Religious and ethnic vulnerable and marginalized communities, particularly Muslims and Indigenous Peoples (IPs), face numerous obstacles in accessing professional opportunities and ensuring sustainable career paths. The systemic disempowerment of Muslims and lPs in the Philippines translates into discriminatory hiring and employment practices, meaning they cannot equally access employment opportunities or safe workspaces.
b. According to The World Bank Report, Overcoming the Barriers to Women's Economic Empowerment in the Philippines at just 49%, the Philippines' female labor force participation in 2019 was one of the lowest in the EAP region (regional average rate is 59%). Women's low labor force participation represents a missed opportunity for economic growth and increased prosperity in the Philippines.
c. Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Intersex (LGBTI) experiences discrimination starting from job advertisement that excludes Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Expression (SOGIE) in the job requirements, some form of harassment and bullying, and limited recourse to redress discrimination. The same study also reported that “the higher the number of workplaces with protective policies in place also correlates with higher levels of reported job satisfaction.”
d. Age discrimination limits older Filipinos' access to employment. In hiring practices of employers, arbitrary age requirements bar older persons from getting employed. Similarly, some employers also impose early retirement due to a person's old age. A study in 2018 indicated "that many local employers [in the Philippines) practice discrimination against older workers not only when they enforce age limits during hiring, but also when promoting or firing workers.
e. Consultation conducted in DepEd in 2018 to 2019 highlighted the following: (1) prevailing perception that persons with disability have limited capacity to perform assigned work, and demand and receive special treatment; (2) DepEd physical facilities are not fully accessible; (3) limited knowledge on persons with disabilities and their rights; (4) lack of policy and process to manage employees who develop disability while in service.
8. With all these issuances and relevant studies, DepEd recognizes the need for a policy on Inclusive Employment (IE) that shall create and nurture a non-discriminatory and inclusive work environment for all employees regardless of age, sex, color, language, disability, gender, religion, color, familial status, ethnicity, political opinion or other forms of opinion, sexual orientation, property, birth or other status.
II. Scope
1. This policy covers all levels of the Department of Education: Central Office (CO), Regional Offices (ROs), Schools Division Offices (SDOs), and Public Schools. Private schools are encouraged to implement this policy and its principles.
2. This policy provides for the following:
(a) the framework that serves as a guide in promoting equitable measures through inclusive standards and practices that continuously improve;
(b) a mechanism, through a governance structure, to establish and ensure inclusion across all levels in the Department; and
(c) standards and indicators of inclusion (Reasonable Accommodation - Stage 1) for four major systems of human resources management and development and for key organizational processes in the Department.
III. Definition of Terms
For the purpose of this Order, the terms below shall be defined and understood as:
a. Creative Resolution - refers to the second stage in the Inclusion Journey. This starts when the organization reaches a point wherein there are a multitude of ideas for accommodation; a trial-and-error approach is done to find a more effective and efficient use of resources in providing Reasonable Accommodation.
b. Disability - refers to impairments in body functions and structure, limitations in activity, and restriction in participation as a result of an interaction between a person (with a health condition) and that person's contextual factors (environmental factors and personal factors). This includes those who have long-term physical, mental, intellectual, or sensory disabilities which in interaction with various barriers that may hinder their full and effective participation in the organization on an equal basis with others. This can be visible and invisible, diagnosed or not.
c. Discrimination - refers to any distinction, exclusion, or restriction on the basis of differentiating factors (e.g., gender, disability, familial status, ethnicity, religion, race) which has the purpose or effect of impairing or nullifying the capability and means of an individual to equally access, participate, and contribute towards the goals of the organization or society.
d. Ethnicity - refers to a group of people who identify with each other based on shared history, cultural characteristics, and territorial origins.
e. Familial status - refers to family relations such as those between husband and wife, whether married, legally separated, or annulled; between parents and their children, whether biological or legally adopted. This also includes being spouseless or unmarried, single or solo parenthood, live-in arrangements,. relationships of persons with diverse Sexual Orientation, and Gender Identity and Expression (SOGlE), and blended families.
f. Full inclusion - refers to the stage where the facilities, processes, and systems including the internal culture of the organization is completely inclusive. This is where everyone in the organization, marginalized or not, are able to benefit from a work environment where inclusion is already embedded as organizational standards.
g. Gender - refers to a set of socially ascribed characteristics, norms, roles, attitudes, values, and expectations identifying the social behavior of men and women, and the relations between them as defined in RA No. 11313.
h. Gender identity and/ or expression - refers to the personal sense of identity as characterized, among others, by manner of clothing, inclinations, and behavior in relation to masculine or feminine conventions. A person may have a male or female identity with physiological characteristics of the opposite sex, in which case this person is considered transgender as defined in RA No. 11313.
i. Inclusion - refers to a set of processes or procedures that aims to help marginalized groups to reach the state where individual employees have equal access to opportunities and resources and can contribute fully to the organization's success.
j. Inclusive Employment - refers to the kind of employment where persons with disabilities and other people from marginalized sectors can competitively and efficiently work with their peers who have no disability, or do not belong in a marginalized group. They also have equal access to compensation and benefits, career development programs, rewards, internal policies, and all other benefits that every non-marginalized employee enjoys.
k. Institutionalization - refers to the process where the organization concretize into an official policy or procedure all implemented types of Reasonable Accommodations or creative resolutions during the transition phase, and cascade its practice across the agency to ensure that any applicant or employee from the marginalized sector is fairly treated in every step of the process of their candidacy or employment by officially recognizing and considering their needs for their respective situations.
l. Marginalized Groups - refer to the basic, disadvantaged, or vulnerable persons or groups who are mostly living in poverty and have little or no access to land and other resources, basic social and economic services such as health care, education, water and sanitation, employment and livelihood opportunities, housing, social security, physical infrastructure, and the justice system as defined under RA No. 9710.
m. Race - refers to socially constructed categorization of humans based on shared physical characteristics and qualities generally viewed as distinct within a given society.
n. Reasonable Accommodation - refers to the first stage of the inclusion journey that includes (1) improvement of existing facilities used by employees in order to render these readily accessible to and usable by disabled persons; and (2) modification of work schedules, reassignment to a vacant position, acquisition or modification of equipment or devices, appropriate adjustments or modifications of examinations, training materials or company policies, rules and regulations, the provisions of auxiliary aids and services, and other similar accommodation for disabled persons as defined under RA No. 7277.
o. Sexual Orientation - refers to the direction of emotional sexual attraction or conduct. This can be towards people of the same sex (homosexual orientation), towards people of both sexes (bisexual orientation), or towards people of the opposite sex (heterosexual orientation).
p. Solo Parent - Section 4 of RA 11861 otherwise known as “Expanded Solo Parents Welfare Act” states that a solo parent refers to any individual who falls under any of the following categories:
(a) A parent who provides sole parental care and support of the child or children due to -
(1) Birth as a consequence of rape, even without final conviction: Provided, That the mother has the sole parental care and support of the child or children: Provided, further, That the solo parent under this category may still be considered a solo parent under any of the categories in this section;
(2) Death of the spouse;
(3) Detention of the spouse for at least three (3) months or service of sentence for a criminal conviction;
(4) Physical or mental incapacity of the spouse as certified by a public or private medical practitioner;
(5) Legal separation or de facto separation for at least six (6) months, and the solo parent is entrusted with the sole parental care and support of the child or children;
(6) Declaration of nullity or annulment of marriage, as decreed by a court recognized by law, or due to divorce, subject to existing laws, and the solo parent is entrusted with the sole parental care and support of the child or children; or
(7) Abandonment by the spouse for at least six (6) months;
(b) Spouse or any family member of an Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW), or the guardian of the child or children of an OFW: Provided, That the said OFW belongs to the low/ semi-skilled worker category and is away from the Philippines for an uninterrupted period of twelve (12) months: Provided, further, That the OFW, his or her spouse, family member, or guardian of the child or children of an OFW falls under the requirements of this section;
(c) Unmarried mother or father who keeps and rears the child or children;
(d) Any legal guardian, adoptive or foster parent who solely provides parental care and support to a child or children;
(e) Any relative within fourth (4th) civil degree of consanguinity or affinity of the parent or legal guardian who assumes parental care and support of the child or children as a result of the death, abandonment, disappearance or absence of the parents or solo parent for at least six (6) months: Provided, That in cases of solo grandparents who are senior citizens but who have the sole parental care and support over their grandchildren who are unmarried, or unemployed and twenty-two (22) years old or below, or those twenty-two (22) years old or over but who are unable to fully take care or protect themselves from abuse, neglect, cruelty, exploitation, or discrimination because of a physical or mental disability or condition, they shall be entitled to the benefits of this Act in addition to the benefits granted to them by Republic Act No. 9257, otherwise known as the 'Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2003; or
(f) A pregnant woman who provides sole parental care and support to the unborn child or children.”
q. Workforce Diversity - refers to a mixture of differences and similarities in an organization in tenns of values, beliefs, backgrounds, preferences, and behavior, usually visibly exhibited through race, gender, physical abilities, age, sexual orientation, etc.
r. Universal Design - refers to the design of products, environments, programs and services to be usable by all people, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for adaptation or specialized design catering to a specific group.
IV. Policy Statement
This policy provides guidelines for Inclusive Employment (IE) that shall allow DepEd to integrate non-discrimination, inclusivity, and human rights in the employment, provision, and governance of basic education. Through this policy, DepEd affirms that:
a. Every individual, without any discrimination, has the right to equal and just employment opportunities 3 . To this end, DepEd shall strive to be genuinely 'maka-tao' - built on respect and trust for everyone's differences, thriving in the diversity of capabilities and eliminating all forms of discrimination. DepEd shall strive to create an inclusive workplace where no one is left behind, and everyone can meaningfully contribute towards the achievement of the organization's vision and mission.
b. DepEd as a government agency shall endeavor to comply with the statutes of national laws and international commitments upholding the principles of inclusivity and diversity in employment. The Department continues its efforts to improve and transform the organization; recognizes the benefits of a diverse and inclusive environment iin promoting organizational health, responsiveness, and development.
c. DepEd shall enforce equitable measures to progressively ensure that everyone can participate and contribute towards the attainment of organization's goals. It shall protect and affirm the right of marginalized groups towards equal access until such a point when these groups are no longer disadvantaged and could participate in equal footing with everyone.
V. Inclusive Employment Framework and Mechanisms
1. This policy recognizes and protects the rights of Filipinos to equal opportunity employment in the Department regardless of age, sex, color, language, disability, gender, religion, color, familial status, ethnicity, political opinion or other opinion, sexual orientation, property, birth or other status, as provided by law, and specifically against gender-based violence in the workplace, discriminatory practices, including all forms of violence and oppression. In the context of this policy, they are referred to as belonging to and recognized as marginalized groups.
2. Inclusion is a process and a journey. DepEd recognizes that creating an inclusive organization is a gradual, consistent, and a continuing endeavor. Inclusion does not only require changes and improvement in the tangible aspects of an organization - systems, processes, policies, and plans – but in the intangibles as well - leadership styles, employee competencies, culture and beliefs.
3. As inclusion is considered the key strategy to creating equal employment opportunities, it is important to recognize what aspects of the organization must be considered and strengthened in order to institute inclusion. The following are the elements of inclusion:
a. Accessibility of Physical Infrastructure, Systems, and Process. This directly enables participation of an individual at work. Mobility within the place of work is critical for an employee to perform his/her functions. Systems and processes should be flexible and simple, to allow ease of access to employees and other stakeholders.
b. Leadership and Governance. DepEd leadership support is instrumental in setting the strategic direction and policies and in allocating resources in the organization. They also serve as role models that establish the workplace culture and the creation of new norms that align with promoting inclusion. They shall lead in transforming the agency to become inclusive. They shall be proactively engaged in the process and initiatives in ensuring inclusion in the Department, through policy support and provision of appropriate structure.
c. Organizational Culture. Inclusion and equal opportunities will thrive through the help of an enabling culture within the organization. DepEd's culture must allow for celebrating differences, collaboration to remove barriers and hindrances to inclusion, marginalized sectors to thrive and be seen as partners rather than threats, and for opportunities for these sectors to participate and be co-creators of policies and programs that concern their circumstances.
d. Organizational Capacity. The efficiency and effectiveness of the Department to deliver the provisions of this policy and other related initiatives rely on the collective capacity of the implementers. It is therefore important that they are properly equipped with the competencies needed to properly communicate, practice, and evaluate implementation of inclusion policy and initiatives.
4. This general policy shall be translated into specific operational guidelines by concerned offices in the CO, ROs, SDOs, and public schools to ensure that inclusion principles are applied and considered in various contexts in order to be more responsive and appropriate to peculiar conditions and situations.
5. To chart and monitor its progress and success towards inclusion, the inclusion process is presented in four (4) stages to serve as framework and roadmap to implementers (Figure 1). The indicators, at each stage of the journey, also demonstrate that the interest in people, process, and technology at the earlier stages, are carried on and are valuable towards the desired outcome. At each stage of inclusion, an organization reacts and behaves differently, as exhibited collectively by employees. The stages of the inclusion process are cumulative in nature, meaning they are not mutually exclusive, and their context is built upon and developed into the succeeding stages instead of having an endpoint. A full discussion of the four (4) levels of inclusion and the general standards by which DepEd shall assess compliance to these stages are presented in Enclosure 2.
VI. Establishing the Inclusion Governance System
1. This general policy calls for the creation of structure and roles at different governance levels that will decentralize and operationalize the implementation of inclusion standards and activities, to wit:
Establishing an Inclusion Governance System (IGS) in all governance levels. The IGS shall be responsible for promoting adherence to the principles of inclusion and diversity across governance levels and for ensuring that inclusion is integrated into the systems and processes, programs, activities and projects of all DepEd offices in the CO, ROs, SDOs, and Public Schools.
Governance Level | Responsibility |
Central Office | The IGS in the CO shall ensure that the principles of inclusion and diversity are considered in developing, implementing, and monitoring and evaluating policies, standards, plans, and programs, projects, and activities (PPAs) at the national level |
Regional Offices | The IGS in the ROs shall implement policies and programs based on the actual needs and situations of their stakeholders, and monitor their progress at the regional level |
Schools Division Offices | The IGS in the SDOs shall ensure the successful implementation and monitoring of inclusive practices in the division offices. It shall promote inclusive workplace culture; design, implement, and monitor PPAs that promote inclusive workplace culture, and ensure compliance to inclusive practices |
Public Schools | The IGS in the public schools implement and monitor PPAs that promote inclusive workplace culture and compliance to inclusive practices |
Figure 2 below shows the three (3) main functions of the Inclusive (IGS) Governance System Framework
a. Lead Convenor shall:
i. Provide policy direction and general oversight, including leading changes and amendments to the IE policy of the Department, in consultation with marginalized groups, and oversight agencies;
ii. Advocate for strategic priorities in relation to inclusion in the Department;
iii. Secure high level buy-in/ commitment of management;
iv. Establish and maintain strategic relationships, and liaise with external partners;
v. Implement, monitor, and evaluate effectiveness of this policy;
vi. Develop a change management and communication plan to ease policy dissemination and implementation.
vii. Provide oversight and budget inclusion for the calibration of Stage 1 indicators and the development of inclusion indicators for the succeeding 3 stages of inclusion; and
viii. Undertake secretariat functions.
b. Compliance Oversight shall:
i. Examine if operational processes within the governance level are inclusive and accessible;
ii. Monitor Department programs, projects, and activities within the governance level to verify that inclusion is practiced;
iii. Gather compliance data on implementation of this policy and other inclusive practices within the governance level;
iv. Report inclusivity and compliance issues to the process owners for corrective actions;
v. Recommend policy revisions to the concerned policy or process owners ; and
vi. Undertake the verification of self-assessments of inclusion standards from offices in the immediately lower governance level.
c. Inclusion Specialists shall:
i. Provide technical assistance regarding inclusion to policy review and evaluation, but not to eliminate the need to consult with marginalized groups;
ii. Provide technical assistance and other capability building activities (e.g. training) on the provisions of this policy, general inclusion principles, and the implementation of inclusive practices within the governance level;
iii. Consult with marginalized groups and individuals on inclusive policies, practices, and procedures (if needed);
iv. Serve as subject matter expert (SME) in grievance proceedings 4 involving marginalized groups;
v. Assess whether specific groups can be considered marginalized, and recommend for their full inclusion and participation m the Department's key systems and processes
vi. Recommend participation of relevant existing associations of specific marginalized groups to the policy /process owners (if needed).
d. Operations and Policy shall:
i. Review policies and proposed revisions within their scope to ensure alignment with inclusion principles and standards set in this policy;
ii. For CO, formulate policies aligned with inclusion principles and standards set;
iii. Implement policies on inclusion by integrating them into operational processes and procedures;
iv. Maintain inclusive processes and procedures by assessing stakeholder feedback and establishing continuous improvement practices towards inclusive service delivery to stakeholders from marginalized groups;
v. Foster inclusion in organizational units by creating and implementing office norms that promote an inclusive work culture, and reinforce inclusive behaviors; and
vi. Report gains and challenges of implementing inclusive practices and procedures.
2. Implementation Roles and Responsibilities
Across the different levels of governance, the IGS roles are to be undertaken by the following organizational units
a. The Bureau of Human Resource and Organizational Development (BHROD) shall:
i. Take the lead role in ensuring that inclusive practices are integrated into the Department's HROD systems, frameworks, and competency standards.
b. The BHROD - Organizational Effectiveness Division (OED) shall:
i. perform the Compliance Oversight functions, including reviewing compliance of concerned units on all levels except public schools to inclusion standards; and
ii. provide overall policy recommendations to implement inclusion in the CO, and for the entire Department.
c. The BHROD - School Effectiveness Division (SEO) shall:
i. perform the Compliance Oversight functions for public schools, including reviewing compliance to inclusion standards; and
ii. providing overall policy recommendations to implement inclusion in public schools.
d. The BHROD - Employee Welfare Division (EWD) shall:
i. perform the Inclusion Specialist functions for the national level, and for the offices in the CO;
ii. develop expertise in inclusive practices and policies; and
iii. provide technical assistance to the inclusion specialists in all governance levels.
The Operations & Policy include, but are not limited, to the following:
e. The National Educators Academy of the Philippines (NEAP), as the process owner of Learning and Development for teachers and public school leaders, shall:
i. Align learning and development standards for internal and external programs with inclusion policies;
ii. Ensure inclusion standards are considered in evaluating learning and development intervention programs for accreditation;
iii. Develop L&D modules that adhere to the inclusion standards of the policy; and
iv. Ensure that inclusive practices are integrated into the Department's learning and development system and frameworks for teachers and public school leaders.
f. The Planning Service (PS), as the process owner of plan formulation, policy development, data management, and monitoring and evaluation processes, shall:
i. Partner with policy or process owners with the inclusion specialists to ascertain the integration of inclusion lens especially in terms of plans, policies, programs projects, and activities; and
ii. Integrate into the planning and policy development process the meaningful participation of marginalized groups, and that vulnerable groups are identified and consulted.
g. The Finance Service (FS) shall:
i. Ensure all fiscal plans, programs, activities, and projects related to Reasonable Accommodation and inclusion are in accordance with existing laws, accounting and auditing rules and regulations; and
ii. Facilitate the release of funds allocated for the implementation of this policy, subject to the applicable budgeting, accounting, auditing, and procurement laws, rules and regulations; and
iii. Ensure that the costs associated with the implementation of the policy is in accordance with the budgeting, accounting, and procurement laws, rules and regulations.
h. The Public Affairs Service (PAS) shall:
i. Ensure that inclusive practices are integrated into all of the Department's communications, media campaigns, public appearances, announcements, and other activities analogous to the foregoing;
ii. Ensure DepEd website is accessible to marginalized groups, and all uploaded contents and files must at least include a text-based and machine-readable format; and
iii. Ensure inclusive standards and practices are integrated into the Department's manual of style and branding guidelines.
i. The Administrative Service (AS) shall:
i. Ensure that the services, tools, and equipment provided to internal and external stakeholders are inclusive and accessible;
ii. Ensure that facilities in all governance levels are inclusive and accessible, by building and improving facilities to meet inclusion standards;
iii. Facilitate consultations with marginalized groups to ensure their needs are considered in preparing infrastructure and procurement plans; and
iv. Ensure that procurement of facilities and materials are in alignment with the principles of universal design and inclusion, and in compliance with applicable principles, circulars, and laws.
j. The Employee Welfare Division unit shall:
i. Recognize the employee associations for specific marginalized groups at every governance level and nationwide;
ii. Provide technical assistance on the engagement and affairs of DepEd vis-a-vis with the recognized marginalized group organizations as pertain to this inclusive employment policy;
iii. Maintain a nationwide database of organizations of marginalized groups within the Department, including key persons and contact details; and
iv. Inform key organizational committees and processes in all governance levels of existing organizations of marginalized groups per their request
k. The Regional Office - Aligned with their regular function, the Quality Assurance Division (RO-QAD) shall perform the Compliance Oversight role, reviewing compliance to inclusion standards and providing overall policy recommendations to implement inclusion within the RO. At the Schools Division Office, this role shall be performed by the Administrative Services Unit (SDO-ASU). For the public schools, this shall be a responsibility of the School Governance and Operations Division - Monitoring and Evaluation Section (SGOD - M&E) aligned with their regular function on school monitoring.
l. The Regional Office - Human Resource Development Division (ROHRDD) shall perform the functions of Inclusion Specialist in the RO. They shall develop expertise in inclusive practices and policies, and provide technical assistance to the lGS in the RO. At the Schools Division Office, the Human Resource Development Section under the Schools Governance and Operations Division (SGODHRDS) of the SDO shall perform these functions. At the public schools, the Administrative Officer II (Human Resource Officer) or in the absence of an Administrative Officer position, any qualified personnel shall be designated by the School Head to perform the functions of Inclusion Specialist. ln the absence of the HRO / AO II, the School Head shall perform the said functions.
m. The Heads of Offices, Bureaus and Services, Regional Directors (RDs), Schools Division Superintendents (SDSs), and School Heads (SHs) shall ensure implementation of inclusive policies and systems in their respective offices.
In addition, the Heads of Offices, Bureaus and Services in the CO shall ensure the development and updating of policies that align to inclusion standards.
n. Under the leadership of BHROD, the IGS, after the third (3rd) year of implementation, shall:
i. Review, and as necessary, calibrate Stage 1 indicators in Enclosure 2;
ii. Develop inclusion indicators for the succeeding 3 stages of inclusion; and
iii. Include into their medium and long term plans, the interventions and investments necessary to ensure inclusion in their systems, which will serve as a guide on how they will progress through the succeeding stages of the inclusion journey.
o. Representatives from Marginalized Groups:
As part of ensuring that marginalized groups are represented in the systems and processes of DepEd, representatives from marginalized groups or their organizations may be invited as observers to key organizational processes and committees, such as but not limited to the Human Resource Merit Promotion and Selection Board (HRMPSB), the Personnel Development Committee (PDC), the Performance Management Team (PMT), the Program on Awards and Incentives for Service Excellence (PRAISE) Committee, and to other committees for key organizational processes, whenever an individual from a marginalized group is the subject of committee proceedings, or the material being discussed in the committee meeting shall affect specific marginalized groups to ensure inclusion in its procedures and deliberations.
i. When invited, serve as representatives to other Department committees to advocate for diversity and inclusion lens;
ii. As observers, ensure adherence of committees to inclusive standards, provide feedback, but do not have voting rights in the committees. They must also maintain confidentiality of information shared during committee meetings attended, and breach in information will subject them to applicable laws and rules on data privacy;
iii. Comply with the internal rules of the above-stated committees, and if said committees define mechanisms to ensure that data privacy is maintained, must subject themselves to such, like the signing of non-disclosure agreements and other such instruments.
iv. Organizations shall be the primary source of representative observers to key organizational processes and committees, and may also undertake the following:
1. Provide recommendations on the drafting and revision of policies and procedures based on observations and findings from activities conducted and actions taken;
2. Conduct consultations among employee members of the marginalized groups on policies and programs that directly impact them; and
3. Conduct informal parallel monitoring progress of and compliance with inclusive policies and practices.
v. The following sectors must be represented:
1. Women;
2. Persons with Disability;
3. Individuals with SOGlE, different from sex assigned at birth;
4. Indigenous Peoples;
5. Religious Minorities;
6. Senior Citizens; and
7. All others as may be recommended by the Inclusion Specialists
vi. Representatives shall be sourced from known and active associations of various marginalized groups within their locality as identified by Inclusion Specialists and process owners.
vii. ln cases where no organizations exist, the Inclusion Specialists may recommend a member of the marginalized group from the governance level for approval of the head of committee or process. In such cases priority is given to members of the marginalized group who have been trained and/ or are advocates of IE principles. In cases where trained members from marginalized groups do not exist, only then may they select individuals who are not members of marginalized groups but are trained or are advocates of the specific marginalized group.
viii. In cases wherein no members of the marginalized group are currently available or no trained individuals or advocates are in the governance level, the head of committee or process shall, in consultation with the Inclusion Specialists, invite representatives from external groups such as civil society organizations of subject marginalized groups.
p. The functions of designated DepEd personnel as members of IGS shall be included in their Individual Performance Commitment Review Form IIPCRF) targets, to guarantee that sufficient attention, time, and resources is given to mainstream inclusion standards and practices.
VII. Fund Source
The BHROD-EWD shall allocate a budget chargeable to the Organizational and Professional Development for Non-Teaching Personnel (OPDNTP) funds for the national orientation/roll-out and policy monitoring and evaluation activities of the IE policy. The ROs and SDOs shall allocate funds for the regional, division and school level orientations, while the M&E activities shall be charged to their respective local funds. Appropriate budget allocation for these shall be considered as GAD-related and attributable activities.
The Portfolio and Program Owners shall be responsible for the allocation of funds for the integration and implementation of the inclusive standards on their respective portfolios and programs, subject to the budgeting, accounting, auditing, and procurement laws, rules and regulations.
VIII. Monitoring and Evaluation
a. A review and feedback mechanism shall be put in place by the Department in order to allow stakeholders to provide feedback on the effectiveness of this policy and related programs that will be implemented in its pursuit. DepEd CO, through BHROD, shall design a policy monitoring mechanism and plan that will place particular emphasis on obtaining feedback. The Inclusion Journey for HR (see Pages 11-26 of Enclosure 2) shall be used as basis for M&E of the maturity of HR systems and practices vis-a-vis inclusion standards set by this policy.
b. The compliance oversight focal persons must monitor the following with regard to the implementation of inclusive policies, standards, and procedures in their specific governance level:
i. Internal processes and how they meet inclusion standards based on the office target stage in the inclusion journey;
ii. Best practices in inclusion;
iii. Key issues and concerns which can be triggers for policy crafting or enhancement;
iv. Incidents which may be grounds for grievance and administrative action; and
v. Challenges to implementation which can be the basis for future action.
c. All members of the IGS in each governance level must convene and create an annual report on inclusion which shall include the following:
i) Demographics of individuals in marginalized groups;
ii) Plans and policies where inclusion was integrated;
iii) Information communication and education materials on inclusion, and activities undertaken on inclusion during the year;
iv) Changes in processes towards inclusion;
v) Facilities, materials, tools, and equipment provided to support inclusion;
vi) Partnerships v.rith civil society and other support groups towards implementing inclusion;
vii) Fund utilization and attribution of inclusion related projects and activities;
viii) Best practices in inclusion;
ix) Assessment of status in the inclusion journey;
x) Consolidation of critical incidents and analysis towards policy and program recommendations to support inclusion; and
xi) Inclusion of budget and procurement plan for the succeeding year.
d. On the national level, an agency-wide National Inclusion Report (NIR) must be prepared annually by the members of the national level members of the IGS and the lead convenor. Its contents shall be similar to those of annual reports in each governance level.
e. The annual report of each governance level and the NIR shall be integrated into other annual reports as may be required by the Department. It must be ensured that the information enumerated under section VIII
IX. References
Batas Pambansa Blg. 344, s. 1983 titled An Act to Enhance the Mobility of Disabled Persons by Requiring Certain Buildings, Institutions, Establishments, and Public Utilities to Install Facilities and Other Devices
Civil Service Commission (CSC) Memorandum Circular No. 24, s.2016 titled Program to Institutionalize Meritocracy and Excellence in Human Resource Management (PRIME-HRM)
Executive Order No. 100, s. 2019 titled Institutionalizing the Diversity and Inclusion Program, Creating an Inter-Agency Committee on Diversity and Inclusion, and For Other Purposes
Presidential Decree No. 1096, s. 1977 titled National Building Code of the Philippines
Promoting Diversity and Inclusion Through Workplace Adjustments. International Labour Office. Geneva. 2016.
Republic Act No. 7277, s. 1992 titled the Magna Carta for Persons with Disability
Republic Act No. 8371, s. 1997 titled the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act of 1997
Republic Act No. 9485, s. 2007 titled the Anti-Red Tape Act of 2007
Republic Act No. 9710, s. 2009 titled An Act Providing the Magna Carta of Women
Republic Act No. 10524, s. 2013 titled An Act Expanding the Positions Reserved for Persons with Disability
Republic Act No. 10911, s. 2016 titled An Act Prohibiting Discrimination Against Any Individual in Employment on Account of Age and Providing Penalties Therefor
Republic Act No. 11313, s. 2019 titled Safe Spaces Act
T. Hudddleston.2019. Global Diversity and Inclusion: Perceptions, Practices, and Attitudes. European Union.
UNDP. 2010. Marginalized Minorities in Development Programming.
United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disability
United Nations Declaration of Rights of Indigenous Peoples
United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities
United Nations Economic and Social Council
X. Transitory Provisions and Effectivity
Specific basic standards corresponding to implementing the Stage 1 of the inclusion journey: Reasonable Accommodation are set out in Enclosure 2 for initial assessment and implementation. These are not, however, meant to be the final standards for inclusion. It is the function of the process owners for key organizational processes to elaborate and further define the standards for Stage 1 and to develop standards for the Stages 2-4 of the Inclusion Journey in their key processes herein within three 13) years from release of this policy as stated in Section VI.2.m.
Orientation on this policy will be conducted in the first 6 months upon approval of this policy. Self-assessment by the processes of various organizational units for the Stage I: Reasonable Accommodation standards shall be conducted within the first year of implementation during the roll-out. Results of which will define the development of indicators in succeeding stages of inclusion, and will be the basis for action planning of the concerned units.
This order shall take effect immediately upon its publication in the DepEd website and shall be registered with the Office of the National Administrative Register (ONAR).
Enclosure 2 to DepEd Order No. 030 s.2025
Adoption of Stage 1 Reasonable Accommodation Standards under the Department of Education Organizational Journey Towards Inclusion |
I. Legal Basis
A. International Legal and Standard-Setting Instruments and Frameworks
1. United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) mandates that all state parties must ensure barrier-free opportunities in all aspects of life such as employment, education, health, access to information, sports, disaster response, political affairs, and others. It aims to safeguard their meaningful and equal participation and performance in all their personal and public endeavors. Article 24 provides that State Parties “recognize the right of persons with disabilities to work, on an equal basis with others ... “ and “shall safeguard and promote the right to work, including for those who acquire a disability during the course of employment ... “ Among the specific provisions also include "employment of persons with disability in the public sector" and “ensuring that Reasonable Accommodation is provided.”
2. United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (UNCEDAW) ensures equal access and opportunities for women to political and public life, as well as education, health and employment. Article 11 direct State Parties to take appropriate measures to "eliminate discrimination against women in the field of employment to ensure, on a basis of equality of men and women, the same rights" including a) the right to the same employment opportunities, right to promotion, job security, all benefits and condition of services etc. It also covered provisions that prevent discrimination against women on the grounds of marriage or maternity.
3. United Nations Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples recognizes that "indigenous individuals and peoples have the right to enjoy fully all rights established under applicable international and domestic and labor law" and that they "have the right not to be subjected to any discriminatory conditions of labor and, inter alia, employment or salary."
4. Beijing Declaration and Plan of Action aims to remove all the obstacles to women's active participation in all spheres of public and private life through a full and equal share in economic, social, cultural and political decision-making. It reaffirms that the human rights of women and of the girl child are an inalienable, integral and indivisible part of universal human rights.
B. Philippine Legal Mandates and Public Policies
1. Article II Declaration of Principles and State Policies
SECTION 9. The State shall promote a just and dynamic social order that will ensure the prosperity and independence of the nation and free the people from poverty through policies that provide adequate social services, promote full employment, a rising standard of living, and an improved quality of life for all.
SECTION 18. The State affirms labor as a primary social economic force. It shall protect the rights of workers and promote their welfare.
2. Republic Act 7277 or the Magna Carta for Persons with Disability promotes equal rights of persons with disabilities and provide opportunities for "self-development and self-reliance" to counter social economic outcomes that face most persons with disabilities. Chapter 1 Section 5, in particular, provides that no person with disability shall be denied access for suitable employment. It further provides that a qualified person with disability shall be subject to the same terms and conditions of employment and the same compensation, privileges, benefits, incentives or allowances as a qualified able-bodied person. Republic Act 10524 or an Act Expanding the Positions Reserved for Persons with Disabilities complemented the magna carta by requiring public agencies and incentivizing private companies that have 1 % of their workforce occupied by persons with disabilities.
3. Republic Act 9442 An Act Amending Republic Act No. 7277, Otherwise Known as The "Magna Carta For Disabled Persons, And For Other Purposes" to include provisions on privileges and incentives accorded to persons with disabilities and to those caring for and living with them. This amendment also strengthened provisions that protects the sector from public ridicule and vilification and added penalties for its violation.
4. Batas Pambansa Big. 344, Otherwise Known as the "Accessibility Law", to include provisions on accessibility of physical infrastructures.
5. Republic Act 9710 or the Magna Carta of Women in Section 22 protects the rights of women to decent work standards, and thus mandated the State to ensure the creation of jobs of acceptable quality in conditions of freedom, equity, security and human dignity for women.
6. Republic Act 8371 or The Indigenous Peoples Rights Act of 1997. Section 23 provides for "Freedom from Discrimination and Right to Equal Opportunity and Treatment" to indigenous peoples, particularly "with respect to recruitment and conditions of employment, such that they may enjoy equal opportunities for admission to employment, medical and social assistance, safety as well as other occupationally-related benefits ... "
7. Executive Order 100 series of 2019 or Institutionalizing the Diversity and Inclusion Program, Creating an Inter-Agency Committee on Diversity and Inclusion mandates the state to "cultivate a supportive, collaborative and inclusive environment to maintain equal opportunities ... " and through an inter-agency committee, among which is the Department of Education, provide a framework for agencies to identify and eliminate all barriers to equal opportunities in the recruitment, hiring, training, promotion and retention of personnel.
8. Republic Act No. 10911, July 21, 2016 "An Act Prohibiting Discrimination Against and Individual in Employment on Account of Age and Providing Penalties therefor"; The law stipulated specific practices that constitute discrimination in employment on account of age, including specifying preferences or limitations when publishing employment-related advertisements, requiring declaration of age in the application process, forcibly laying off an employee or preventing promotion and training because of age.
9. RA 10028 known as the "Expanded Breastfeeding Promotion Act of 2009", to include provision on establishing lactation stations in DepEd Facilities.
10. Republic Act No. 11861 Expanded Solo Parents Welfare Act An Act Granting Additional Benefits to Solo Parents, Amending for the purpose Republic Act No. 8972, entitled "An Act Providing for Benefits and Privileges to Solo Parents and their Children, Appropriating Funds therefor and for other Purposes.
11. Republic Act No. 11313 "Safe Space Act" An Act Defining Gender~Based Sex Harassment in Streets, Public Spaces, Online, Workplaces, and Educational or Training Institutions. Providing Protective Measures and Prescribing Penalties Therefore: Article IV entitled Gender-based Sexual Harassment in the Workplace mandates an employer to establish a mechanism to investigate and address complains of this nature, articulate a code of conduct that should adequately cover prohibitions on gender-based sexual harassment, process of the set internal mechanisms, and administrative penalties.
12. CSC Memorandum Circular 24, s. 2016, Program to Institutionalize Meritocracy and Excellence in Human Resource Management (PRIME-BRM) requires the institutionalization of the Equal Opportunity Principle (EOP) in all areas of human resource, particularly its core systems on Recruitment, Selection and Placement (RSP); Learning and Development (L&D); Performance Management (PM); and Rewards and Recognition (R&R). All barriers and discrimination in all personnel actions and employment decisions must be abolished in order to sustain an efficient and productive workforce regardless of age, gender identity, sexual orientation, civil status, disability, religion, ethnicity or political affiliation, subject to the agency needs and requirements.
II. The Stages of Inclusion
A. The first stage is called Reasonable Accommodation.
At this stage, members of the organization place a particular emphasis on making use of its existing resources and modifying these to accommodate the needs of marginalized stakeholders. In determining the types of Reasonable Accommodations to be provided, the following considerations must be taken into account:
1. Will the request facilitate the person's access to basic needs and services within the workplace that impact their quality of life?
2. Will the request facilitate on the performance of their assigned work or prevent and/ or impede with performing said task?
If the request meets the criteria above, some further considerations may be taken into account:
1. Resource Requirement: does the accommodation cost a significant amount of resources? Will providing the accommodation provide a significant benefit to the organization?
2. Process Alteration: does the accommodation significantly change established protocols and procedures? Are changes to protocols and procedures aligned with inclusion, and will it improve the access of individuals to said protocols and procedures?
3. Readiness: is the accommodation readily achievable or attainable given the current situation? If not, can arrangements be easily made to achieve or attain these?
These adjustments are often improvised and impromptu in nature. Reasonable Accommodation is a minimum requirement to meet laws and commitments. It ensures that rights of individuals under the pertinent laws are protected. It is important to understand that while the rights of every individual are inalienable, the capacity of the organization to immediately address and cater to these rights may require further strengthening. In this stage, implementers are expected to:
1. Ensure no incidence of outright discrimination occurs
2. Collaborate with the marginalized individual to come up with workable solutions that will address their barriers to performance
3. Utilize and/or modify existing and/or readily available resources to accommodate and facilitate in the marginalized individual's participation
Consider and/or accommodate requests of a marginalized individual or group in relation to their beliefs and/ or expressions of identity, provided that said request would not potentially exclude other similarly marginalized individuals and/ or groups.
B. The second stage of the journey is Creative Resolution.
This starts when the organization reaches a point wherein there are a multitude of ideas for accommodation, a trial-and-error approach is done to find a more effective and efficient use of resources in providing Reasonable Accommodation. In this stage, implementers are expected to:
1. Consolidate emerging suggestions being provided by all stakeholders
2. Collaborate with the marginalized individual/ groups to determine the effectiveness (success and failures) of the implemented accommodation
3. Continue utilizing and/or modifying existing and/or readily available resources, possibly investing in those that brought about multiple successful outcomes
C. The third stage is called Institutionalization.
This transition occurs once a critical mass of proven accommodation approaches has been implemented. In this stage, the Agency solidifies its best practices through proper documentation, roll-out and cascading. Also in this stage, long-term investments and adjustments, particularly to policies, procedures, and facilities are typically made. This could include systematically reviewing and updating mechanisms and policies that ensure inclusion, and renovating facilities, procuring new equipment in addition to modifying existing facilities to ensure equal access. In this stage, implementers are expected to:
I. Determine the accommodations with highly successful outcomes to be replicated and implemented in similar contexts
2. Collaborate with the marginalized individual/ groups on how to better integrate them in performing at par with other members of the organization
3. Invest in long-term investments that contribute to ensuring successful outcomes for marginalized groups, prioritizing investments that provide the greatest value with the greatest number of people
4. Create and iterate relevant policies, procedures and protocols that ensure the continued, long-term accommodation of marginalized individuals and/or groups.
D. The final stage is being Inclusive. Given time, the documented best practices of the Department will be refined through continuous feedback until such a point wherein the accommodations being provided are no longer specific to the context. Instead, the accommodations become universal, becoming the standard for ensuring that every employee is given an opportunity to participate with little to no barriers. In this stage, long-term investments that ensure accessibility are prevalent and common. This is achieved when the accommodation caters to the accessibility needs of everyone. The Inclusive Stage also becomes the point wherein most barriers to accessibility are addressed. In relation to this, whatever barrier has not yet been eliminated, the organization sees as something that can be overcome. In this stage, implementers are expected to:
I. Replicate the implementation of successful accommodations even in different and more complex contexts
2. Manage a full scale of diverse and functional individuals/ groups with little to no barriers present
3. Make long-term investments that are geared towards universally designed facilities which further eliminate barriers to functionality while still catering to the needs of most if not all of the members of the organization
4. Ensure that policies being implemented are always responsive and relevant when it comes to reinforcing inclusive principles and behaviors to such a point that these become embedded in the mainstream.
III. General Provisions
A. All DepEd systems, processes, and practices, should provide for Reasonable Accommodation and allow ease of access for the participation of marginalized groups. All units within the Department are directed to review their processes, procedures, and documentation to ensure compliance with the inclusion framework towards the achievement of an inclusive workplace.
1. DepEd shall publish its declaration and commitment to creating an environment that does not discriminate against marginalized groups. This will be done through a consolidated communications plan which shall be cascaded to all governance levels, and posted in public places within all DepEd offices and schools.
2. DepEd, through the concerned units, shall integrate inclusion indicators as applicable to the Quality Management System (QMS), Basic Education Monitoring and Evaluation Framework (BEMEF}, School-Based Management (SBM) framework, and other relevant organizational frameworks and standards.
3. DepEd shall pursue meaningful partnership with external organizations to ensure the effective delivery of inclusive initiatives in compliance with national laws and existing policies, through requests for technical assistance and external evaluation of inclusion programs. ln particular, the support requested may consist of but is not limited to the following:
a. Technical guidance and implementation oversight for persons with disability programs from the NCDA, GAD related programs with the PCW, and Indigenous Peoples related programs from the NCIP
b. Technical guidance for programs that affect specific faiths
c. Transportation accommodation coordinated with the DOTR
d. Availment and referral to medical and social services from the DSWD and DOH
e. Technical guidance on the alignment of inclusive HR policies from csc
4. Technical assistance on budgeting, and allocation and attribution of funds for Reasonable Accommodation, and other inclusion related funds from the DBM.
5. Collaboration with DILG in developing and monitoring accessibility policy implementation by local government units.
6. Development and implementation of inclusion programs together with relevant civil society groups and non-government organizations.
7. All DepEd facilities shall be designed and evaluated vis-Ã -vis compliance with the pertinent laws (i.e. Batas Pambansa Blg. 344) and standards.
8. DepEd shall ensure that vulnerable groups are identified, consulted, and involved in planning and formulation of policies and procedures including those pertaining specifically to occupational safety and health, risk reduction, pandemic safety, and other emergency situations.
9. There must be no discrimination towards individuals in marginalized groups in the delivery of non-frontline services to internal clients including but not limited to administrative services, medical services, support services, among others.
10. Accessibility and sensitivity towards marginalized groups must be taken into account in the conduct of DepEd activities.
11. Activities that include persons with mobility difficulties to be conducted close to the entrance and/or on the first floor, if elevators are not available.
12. Activities are conducted at locations that are considered to be not offensive to specific marginalized groups.
13. Prayers, if included in an activity, should not favor specific religions or sects, instead convey a universal expression of faith.
14. Language used in activities must be gender-fair, disability-sensitive, and respectful to all marginalized groups.
IV. Assess and Assist
A. Assess Assist Award System
1. Inclusion in Key Organizational Process
To ensure compliance with the basic requirements of the organization's journey towards inclusion, the principle of inclusivity shall be embedded in the key organizational processes of the Department, particularly those that arc considered cross-cutting in all strands and governance levels.
Specific basic standards corresponding to implementing level 1 of the inclusion journey: Reasonable Accommodation are set out below for initial assessment and implementation. These are not however meant to be the final standards for inclusion, and as a function of process owners for key organizational processes, organizational units must elaborate and further define the standards for Stage 1: Reasonable Accommodation and develop standards for Stage 2-4 of the Inclusion Journey for all key processes herein within three (3) years from release of this policy.
2. Assess and Assist
The Assess and Assist system is adapted to emphasize the developmental approach in elevating inclusion in organizational systems and practices. The 2As is a system where organizational units' existing processes, practices, systems, policies, and competencies of implementers will be assessed based on a set of standards laid out in this policy.
The endpoint of the system is to determine the maturity of the organizational unit in the inclusion journey, and to map out critical factors and possible interventions to reach higher maturity levels. The two phases are as follows:
1. Assess Phase: involves the organizational unit checking its own existing processes, practices, systems, policies, and competencies against the disability inclusion standards and coming up with a self-assessment. |
1.1 Organizational units shall conduct a self-assessment using the inclusion indicators of the key organizational processes and systems |
1.2 All organizational units in governance levels, specifically Bureaus, Services, and Independent Units in the Central Office, the Regional Offices, the Schools Division Offices, and the Schools, shall be required to conduct self-assessments, and this shall be used as the baseline data when tracking developmental journey |
1.3 Assessments shall be done with a year interval. A special assessment may be conducted upon the initiative of the higher level of governance, or by request of the organizational unit |
1.4 The assessors have the freedom to assign the assessment process provided that the following basic standards are met |
1.4.1 There is proper documentation of data gathered. |
1.4.2 Qualitative and quantitative methodologies of data gathering are employed. |
1.4.3 Target respondents include representative from the following groups: 1. Employees from different marginalized groups 2. Immediate supervisor of employees from different marginalized groups 3. Colleagues/co-workers of employees from different marginalized groups 4. Head of unit 5. Implementing staff 6. Inclusion specialist in the governance level |
1.5 Assessment results should be presented to the management and staff for validation |
2. Assist Phase: includes the analysis of the self-assessment and planning interventions to meet the required disability inclusion standards. The following guidelines apply: |
2.1 The assessment results shall be the basis for developing an action plan towards inclusion. |
2.2 The inclusion action plan shall address the challenges and weaknesses in the system, practices, and competencies of staff |
2.3 The inclusion action plan shall articulate its target level along the Inclusion Journey, and identify tbe different strategies and activities in pursuit of the target |
V. Policy Planning and Implementation
A. Policy, Planning, and Implementation: The Department must ensure that the minimum inclusive standards are observed in the planning, policy, and implementation of programs, project, and activities through the following:
1. Ensure marginalized groups are consulted in the policy process, and how policies can impact their performance of duties, and welfare;
2. Integrate the inclusivity lens in the policy, financial and program planning process, and ensure mechanisms for participation are inclusive and accessible;
3. Undertake an analysis of how policies will affect marginalized groups;
4. Ensure inclusive practices are being implemented and monitored in all Department policies, plans, and projects;
5. Information on the marginalized sectors is utilized to respond to their existing and emerging needs and to inform policy and program development and implementation.
VI. Inclusion-Related Activities
A. Inclusive-Related Activities: The Department shall advocate inclusion through the conduct of series of activities that will reinforce and strengthen the mainstreaming of inclusion in the workplace:
1. Activities that promote inclusion, such as but not limited to the celebration of National Women's Month, National IP Month, National Disability Prevention and Rehabilitation Week, and International Day of Disability;
2. Skills building for Inclusion Governance System Members, continuous competency updating for Inclusion Governance System Specialists;
3. Conduct of information and communications campaigns that cascades the requirements and provisions of Inclusive Employment policies and standards, and the organizational and societal benefits of social inclusion;
4. Introduction to inclusive policies and practices, and Awareness and Sensitivity Training during Induction of New Hires;
5. Conduct of Awareness and Sensitivity Programs and cascading of new laws and regulations, for incumbents in the Department.
VII. Inclusive Communication
A. Inclusive Communication: The Department shall ensure that all communications within the organization conform with the following standards in order to give equal access to information and communications, and to ensure the participation of marginalized groups:
1. The communication of all information, including but not limited to memoranda, circulars, orders, and policies throughout the agency is always disseminated through accessible means to all DepEd personnel, including those from marginalized groups, e.g. providing captions to video, graphics descriptions, subtitles, as necessary;
2. All information shall, at all times, be communicated in the following formats:
a. Paper Memorandum;
b. Text-based and machine readable electronic format;
c. All communications must be sensitive in content and form to all marginalized groups;
d. All existing communications which are not in text-based and machine readable electronic formats must be converted to ensure accessibility;
e. Information pertaining to marginalized communicated via formal channels, e.g. sectors is release of memoranda, DepEd publication, website, accomplishment reports, DepEd activities, and management meetings, among others. This is done to heighten awareness and monitor the progress of inclusion initiatives;
f. All communications must include the contact information of the Department Office, Bureau, Service, or governance level which can address further questions and/ or clarifications. The stated offices must be accessible and available to address questions during business hours from Monday to Friday.
VIII. Administrative Services
A. Administrative Services: The Department shall ensure that all administrative services, tools, and equipment that are provided to internal clients must be inclusive and accessible.
1. In providing services, tools, and equipment, to marginalized groups, Reasonable Accommodation must be practiced as needed.
2. In any and all instances where Reasonable Accommodation has been requested, the requested among other pertinent laws and policies. Requesting party must indicate in writing a clear and concise justification as to why they would need the specific accommodation as it relates to the performance of their duties. This will be used as the basis for processing these requests. The requesting party shall be clearly made aware which among their requests has been granted in part or in full and both parties shall determine other possible working solutions as may be needed.
3. In determining whether a request is reasonable or not, refer to section 6.9 on the Reasonable Accommodation stage of the inclusion journey.
4. Facilities must be inclusive and accessible, and meet inclusion standards in compliance with the following applicable principles, circulars, and laws, among others:
a. Presidential Decree No. 1096, or the National Building Code
b. RA 10028 on providing lactating rooms in the workplace
c. RA 7277 or the Magna Carta for Persons with Disability
d. The Marrakesh Treaty to Facilitate Access to Published Works by Visually Impaired Persons and Persons with Print Disabilities
e. Indigenous cultural intellectual property
f. Provision of gender-neutral toilets
g. Provision of religion non -specific prayer rooms for religious practice
5. Representatives of marginalized groups and other stakeholders have been consulted in preparing infrastructure and procurement plans
6. Facilities, equipment, and materials to be procured are in alignment with the principles of universal design and inclusion.
IX. Human Resources
In most organizations, it is the human resource units that lead and influence the organization and its people towards inclusion, as it is the systems and processes of the HR that are at the center of most inclusion initiatives. The guidelines below provide the minimum requirement for each of the 4 HR systems and other HR functions. The BHROD and NEAP, within one year after promulgation of standards for the inclusion journey of different marginalized groups, must have complied with all standards and indicators under Stage l: Reasonable Accommodation as indicated in the specific standards. The BHROD and NEAP should develop and include, within the 1st year of implementation, into their medium and long term plans, the interventions and investments necessary to ensure Inclusion in HR systems, which will serve as a guide on how they will progress through the succeeding stages of the Inclusion Journey.
A. Recruitment, Selection and Placement
1. Recruitment, Selection, Placement, and Induction:
The RSP system must ensure that applicants from marginalized groups are fairly screened and processed in all stages of the job application, from applicant sourcing strategies up to the placement phase. It must also ensure that all related materials, instructions and other requirements are in accessible formats, or available in alternative formats. At the minimum, the RSP processes and requirements must observe the following:
a. Posting and Publication of Vacancy
i. In consonance with the Agency Merit Selection Plan (MSP) and RSP Guidelines, all vacancy announcement of the Department must include an Equal Opportunity provision that "DepEd is an equal opportunity employer, and allows any applicant within or outside DepEd to apply for a position, irrespective of age, sex, sexual orientation and gender identity, civil status, disability, religion, ethnicity, or political beliefs." No candidate for employment shall be excluded from the selection process on account of being part of a marginalized group, except as required in law.
ii. Vacancy shall also be required to be posted through other modes to reach a wider range of applicants, and to ensure availability of qualified candidates. To further promote transparency and equal opportunity of the recruitment process, posting of vacancy/ies is not limited to the DepEd website, newspaper of local and/ or national circulation, job search websites, online job portals, social media, and job fairs.
iii. As part of the inclusive communication strategies, the Notice of Vacancies shall be available in alternative and accessible formats, e.g., PDF text based or other machine-readable documents.
iv. The Position and Competency Profile (PCP) or the description of the duties and responsibilities, and competencies required the position may be included in the announcement of the vacancy, in order for the applicant to be aware of what is to be performed with the position he/she intends to apply
b. Submission and Receipt of Applications
i. Applications to any job vacancy whether sent through electronic mail, courier, facsimile or handed by walk-in applicants shall be acknowledged as "received" regardless of the applicant's protective characteristics. ln consonance with RA No. 8792 or the "E-Commerce Act of 2000" which provides that" (e) electronic documents shall have the legal] effect, validity or enforceability as any other document or legal -writing and a) (w)here the law requires a document to be in 'Writing, that requirement is met by an electronic document if the said electronic document maintains its integrity and reliability and can be authenticated so as to be usable for subsequent reference," online submission of electronic copies of the above enumerated application documents may be allowed, subject to the submission of the hard copies upon request for purposes of verification.
ii. In such cases that there are no ongoing publication and posting of job vacancies, the Human Resource Management Officer (HRMO} shall still receive the application sent or handed by the applicant, regardless of channel or platform. Once a list of job vacancies has been posted, the HRMO may subject the said application for initial evaluation and further contact and inform the applicant in order to determine their preferred position which shall be indicated in their letter of intent/ application.
iii. As furnished in the hiring and promotion guidelines, the applicants shall fill-out the Checklist of Requirements and Omnibus Certification/Waiver pursuant to RA No. 10173 that provides information on their personal information and disability. Applicants may or may not disclose their religion, ethnicity, or disability, except when disclosure of said information is required due to the nature of the position, or as required by law.
c. Initial Evaluation of the Qualification of Applicants
i. Pursuant to the Department's hiring and promotion guidelines, the responsibility and accountability in the initial evaluation of the applicant's qualifications vis-a-vis the QS of the position shall be maintained by HRMO. He/she shall not give considerations to protective characteristics of individual applicants.
ii. Applicants who did not meet the m1mmum qualifications of the position to be filled shall be informed through official communication channels by the HRMO. In the official letter to non-qualified applicant, the HRMO shall indicate the deficiency in the qualification requirements which shall not, in any case, be on account of immaterial attributes enumerated above.
iii. Applicants who passed the minimum requirements must be allowed to proceed to the next recruitment process regardless of if the applicant disclosed or did not disclose their religion, ethnicity, or disability, except when disclosure of said information is required due to the nature of the position, or as required by law.
d. Comparative Assessment of Applicants
i. The Open Ranking System (ORS), as stated in the Agency MSP and RSP Guidelines, shall be adopted to ensure transparency in the process and results of the comparative assessment wherein applicants must be present to witness the actual evaluation for which the scores of all applicants present thereat shall be publicly disclosed.
ii. To maintain fairness and objectivity, the HRMO shall collate the application documents per qualified applicants and provide a unique code number to each set of documents. The unique code number shall be the identification of the qualified applicants which will be reflected in the comparative assessment documents during the evaluation process. All qualified applicants must be informed by the HRMO of their respective unique code number before the commencement of the open ranking.
iii. After discussing with the applicants the results of their individual assessment during the open ranking, applicants shall acknowledge receipt of their individual assessment results by affixing their signature on the Individual Evaluation Sheet (IES) which also contains their personal information and special needs, should there be any. Applicants may also be allowed to submit a scanned copy of their signed IES. In the event that the applicant will not be able to provide a signed lES, the Minutes of the Meeting of the open ranking prepared by the HRMO shall suffice as proof of evidence of the applicant's confirmation of their individual results.
iv. The duly signed lES shall serve as acknowledgement that the applicant has undergone the application and assessment process based on applicable guidelines and that the results of the individual assessment have been discussed with the concerned applicant. The IES shall not, in any case, preclude the applicant from filing a protest relative to their application.
v. The conduct of the comparative assessment and/ or open ranking may be done remotely through online platforms and other alternative modalities and strategies, as deemed practicable and applicable, subject to subsequent internal guidelines to be issued by the Head of Office, as recommended by the HRMPSB.
vi. Likewise, all qualified applicants must be informed of the schedule and specific instructions of the evaluative assessment activities set by the HRMPSB such as behavioral events interview (BEI); written examinations; computer proficiency test; skills/work sample tests; demonstration teaching for teacher applicants, etc.
vii. In case of face-to-face evaluative assessment activities, suitable considerations in the conduct of the above-mentioned activities shall be provided to applicants with special needs, such as but not limited to the following:
1) Accessible rooms for waiting, testing, and interview which are free from objects and other barriers that may cause harm to the applicants;
2) Accessible rooms for waiting, testing, and interview which are free from objects and other barriers that may cause harm to the applicants;
3) On written examinations, skills/work sample tests:
a) For applicants with low vision, the test questions shall be written or printed in a bigger font of at least 50% larger than the standard font size.
b) For applicants with full visual disability, assistance shall be provided insofar as braille is not yet available. Two (2) staff shall assist the applicant one as dictation officer and another as transcriber.
c) For applicants with hearing disability, the test instructions shall be in writing or a trained staff on signed language shall assist the applicant.
4) On Behavioral Even ts Interview (BEI):
a) The HRMSPB Members shall conduct the BEI at a venue and/ or platform where confidentiality of the proceedings is taken into consideration in addition to other attributes that would make the applicant uncomfortable or self-conscious.
b) The HRMPSB Members shall use appropriate language that is gender-fair, disability-sensitive (adopting 'person-first principle), and respectful to all marginalized groups
5) On Background Investigation (BI):
a) The background investigation conducted by the HRMO shall be structured and contain questions that are uniform for all qualified applicants for the same position, emphasizing the relevant competencies and character of the applicant.
b) The HRMO, in the preparation of the BI report, shall not include any question or statement that are not covered in the BI nor exclude any information to the disadvantage of the applicant.
e. HRMPSB Deliberation and Comparative Assessment Result (CAR)
i. Ensuring the observance of the EEOP, the deliberation of the HRMPSB shall be held in private and members shall maintain fairness and impartiality in the assessment of the applicants.
ii. In documenting the minutes of HRMPSB deliberation, inclusive and appropriate language shall be used as well.
iii. When a member of a marginalized group is the subject of HRMPSB deliberation whenever applicable, the HRMPSB shall invite a representative of subject marginalized group to serve as observer in the deliberation process and to ensure adherence of the committee to inclusive standards pursuant to Item 23(h) and Part VIII(g) of this Order.
1) In the event that RMG has concerns related to inclusive standards during the HRMPSB deliberation, such observations shall be raised through the employees' association representative in the HRMPSB specifically on matters which have bearing on the finalization of the CAR.
2) Through the official notice of the conduct of the HRMPSB deliberations, the RMG shall ensure the attendance of their members in the board deliberation.
Likewise, the HRMPSB Deliberation, as constituted by a quorum in consonance with the Agency MSP, shall commence notwithstanding the presence of the RMG.
3) The RMG shall maintain confidentiality of information discussed during the HRMPSB Deliberation. Breach of information shall be subject to applicable laws and rules on data privacy.
iv. The finalization of the Comparative Assessment Result (CAR) or Comparative Assessment Result Registry of Qualified Applicants (CAR-RQA) shall contain only the relevant information and rating of the applicants' qualifications in terms of Application of Education, Application of Learning and Development, and Outstanding Accomplishments, using the rubrics provided in the hiring and promotion guidelines of the Department. The protective characteristics Immaterial attributes enumerated above shall not, in any way, be indicated in the CAR/CAR-RQA.
f. Appointment
i. The appointing officer/ authority shall be guided by the report of the HRMPSB's CAR/CAR-RQA, and in the exercise of sound discretion, select, insofar as practicable, the candidate deemed most qualified for appointment from among the top five (5) or less per vacant position, unless otherwise provided by law.
1) For multiple vacancies, the appointing officer/ authority shall select from the highlighted top candidates as determined by the HRMPSB, computed by multiplying the number of vacant plantilla items by a factor of five as stipulated in Part V(D) of the DepEd MSP.
ii. Based on the HRMPSB's report on the Comparative Assessment Results, the appointing officer/ authority may appoint a candidate who is ranked higher in the CAR/CAR-RQA than the candidate who is next-in-rank to the vacant position.
iii. Teachers with disability and those belonging to marginalized groups shall not be segregated and/or be limited to teach within a specialized group. Instead, they shall, subject to applicable policy, be provided equal opportunity to all types of assignments, subject to their credentials and competencies.
iv. The decision of the appointing officer/ authority not to appoint shall not be treated as a violation of the Equal Employment Opportunity Principle, unless otherwise violative of the prohibitions provided in Rule XII of the CSC ORAOHRA.
v. Applicants may present grievance with the office grievance machinery under the conditions of noncompliance with the selection process and discrimination in considerations to protective characteristics of the applicant pursuant to CSC 2017 Rules o Administrative Cases in the Civil Service (RACCS)
g. Placement and Onboarding
i. A Comprehensive Onboarding Program for Employees (COPE) shall also be conducted to all successful appointees to orient and acquaint them on their roles, responsibilities, expectations of the Office wherein they will report, as well as the reporting relationships of their assigned office, bureau, service, and schools. Afterwards, the appointee shall be officially endorsed to his/her receiving office.
ii. Probationary period shall be enforced to the required appointees pursuant to CSC ORAOHRA and guidelines set by the Department. The appointee shall be informed of such fact relative to the performance assessment within a given period observing the EEOP on performance management, as far as applicable.
B. Leaming and Development
DepEd shall ensure alignment of standards and processes of the Learning and Development (L&D) System to ensure accessibility of training, coaching, online learning opportunities, and other L&D interventions and strategies. The L&D processes must address accessibility of safe and inclusive training venues, online websites, learning materials; and the sensitivity and awareness of learning facilitators, and suitability of learning design. At the minimum, the L&D processes and interventions must observe the following:
a. Leaming Needs Assessment and Interventions Planning
i. The provision of L&D opportunities must be needs-based. No employee of the Department shall be deprived of professional development through learning opportunities on account of being a member of a marginalized group.
ii. Sensitivity training on marginalized groups shall be part of DepEd's induction program for all newly hired employees of the department (e.g., Basic Gender Sensitivity Training/ Gender Equality Orientation; IP Sensitivity Training; Disability Awareness & Sensitivity Orientation, etc.). Likewise, members of the marginalized groups will also be given training/ orientation on their rights, welfare, and related programs available for the marginalized sectors within the organization. DepEd must make sure that all marginalized
groups such as persons with disabilities are included across all retooling or skills enhancement initiatives so that they can quickly adapt and secure their productivity in times of pandemic, natural disasters, and other external factors that forces the agency to abruptly change work structures or arrangements to continue the operations.
iii. All employees of the Department are required to take inclusion training courses regardless of their roles. Supervisors, managers, and other leaders in the Department should take inclusion orientation to better support employees under their care. HR officers shall be provided training on developing and implementing Reasonable Accommodation across their different processes.
b. Designing and Development of L&D Interventions
i. All L&D contents, activities, and the overall design must be sensitive to marginalized groups.
ii. Should the agency use/outsource the development of electronic or web-based applications for training, or the implementation of learning interventions for employees, the service provider must be aligned with and follow the inclusion policies of DepEd, and materials used are universally accessible (e.g., availability of audio/visual aids).
c. L&D Implementation and Delivery
i. Advertisements or announcements of any learning intervention must include a provision that the learning and development opportunities are open to anyone regardless of being a member of a marginalized group.
ii. L&D implementers must ensure that equal opportunity is offered, and gender sensitivity and gender representation are observed from the selection to the actual participation of the employees, allowing both men and women to express their views and provide inputs in the L&D intervention.
iii. All trainers must be aware of the inclusion policies and are equipped with competency to implement inclusive practices, and are sensitized when interacting with marginalized groups. The facilitators, trainers, and management team must use/encourage the use of gender-fair language and culture sensitivity in speaking and in all learning resource package to be utilized.
iv. ln collecting the participant profile, the tool must at least include: data privacy statement, details of the activity (Title, Objective, Schedule); participant profile (name, sex, preferred pronoun (He/ She/Mr./Ms./Mx.), age, civil status, position, office, employment status, no. of years in service, educational background, lP Group; and special needs of the participant).
v. In the conduct of L&D programs, the sensitivity and appropriateness of logistical arrangements such as training schedule, venue, transportation and lodging, facilities, and meals shall be considered to ensure inclusiveness, equal opportunity, and a safe environment for the attendees, especially those with special needs.
vi. Proper decorum and respectful relationship between and among participants, management teams, trainers, and staff must be observed. ln the incident of harassment, intimidation, or bullying, the concerned individual must submit a report immediately to the concerned head of L&D implementing office who shall take necessary actions within 24 hours upon receipt of the report.
vii. Safety regulations and assistance to vulnerable groups or individuals with special needs must be maintained within the learning environment. Venues for in-face activities must have:
1) Lactation rooms following the standards of DOH
2) Child-minding areas/ centers
3) Prayer rooms
4) Availability of Halal food
5) FWD-friendly accommodation
6) Separate rooms for men and women; and separate beds for each participant
viii. For both in-face and virtual learning venues, accessibility and safety for persons with disability must be ensured. Possible barriers that may inhibit or prevent the learner from participating, must be resolved before the actual conduct of the activity.
C. Performance Management
The implementation of EEOP and the principle of objectivity with respect to performance assessment of employees, regardless of age, sex, color, language, disability, gender, religion, color, familial status, ethnicity, political opinion or other opinion, sexual orientation, property, birth or other status shall always be observed. At the minimum, the RPMS processes and requirements must observe the following guidelines:
a. General Provisions
i. Tools, mechanisms, and protocols of the RPMS must determine the amount of appropriate equitable measures and Reasonable Accommodation that can be adopted for an employee.
ii. Work schedule may be adjusted to allow employees to observe their religious and/ or cultural practices which shall not likewise hamper the delivery of services, subject to applicable policies on work hours and attendance.
iii. No employee shall be limited or restricted from participating in legitimate organizational activities and/ or undertake tasks within their capacity and potential.
b. Performance Planning and Commitment
i. All employees shall participate in the conduct of performance planning and commitment setting.
ii. The setting of Key Results Area (KRAs) and objectives must be in accordance with the function and job description of a particular employee. Timelines, weights, and performance indicators must be SMART, appropriate, and reasonable to all employees. Thus, targets must be within the capacity and potential of the employee.
iii. Heads of Offices/Functional Divisions, in collaboration with concerned employees who belong in marginalized groups, shall conduct consultation dialogues to further identify needs and provide support mechanisms to ensure that performance targets are achieved.
iv. Employees with specialized needs, such as but not limited to persons with disability, pregnant women, etc., shall be given appropriate tools and support mechanisms to enable them to effectively perform and deliver the expectations of their position.
v. Employees shall not be forced to perform or deliver targets that are inconsistent with their religious and/or cultural beliefs and practices.
vi. Employees who are expecting child birth within a specific period shall have their performance targets adjusted, taking into consideration the period of maternity or paternity leave.
vii. Employees who are scheduled to compulsory retire within a specific performance rating period shall have their performance targets adjusted, talcing into account the retirement date.
viii. The KRAs, objectives, timelines, weights, and performance indicators should be discussed and agreed upon by the Rater and Ratee at the beginning of the performance cycle.
c. Performance Monitoring and Coaching
i. Performance monitoring shall be anchored on the agreed targets.
ii. Coaching and/or mentoring shall be geared towards improving employee performance. Other attributes such as age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, civil status, disability, religion, ethnicity, social status, and/or political beliefs shall not be taken into consideration to the disadvantage of the employee.
iii. Raters shall ensure that no employee shall be unduly favored or unfavored in terms of workload.
iv. Behaviors that do not conform with the inclusive principles displayed by employees towards those who belong to marginalized groups shall be discussed during coaching and/or mentoring sessions.
v. A mid-year review shall be conducted for Raters to provide feedback on the performance of employees. At the same time, Raters shall discuss and identify the professional development needs and provide support mechanisms to employees to help in the accomplishment of their performance targets.
d. Performance Review and Evaluation
i. Objectivity shall always be observed in performance evaluation
ii. Assignment of tasks and work arrangements shall consider the needs of employees with specialized needs such as those recuperating from life-threatening illnesses, undergoing chemotherapy or radiation, pregnant women, employees with disability, and the like.
iii. Employees shall be given the opportunity for self-rating of their performance in a specific rating period.
iv. Employees shall be given the opportunity for self-rating of their performance in a specific rating period.
v. Employee's demonstration of inclusive behaviors shall be rated as part of the employee's Core Behavioral Competencies.
vi. The performance rating may be subject to appeal, as deemed necessary, should the employee perceive to have been disadvantaged or unfairly rated.
vii. When the subject of Performance Management Team (PMT) deliberations (e.g. setting organizational and individual performance standards, calibrating rating and performance for the purposes of ranking, and other PMT discussions) have an effect on specific marginalized groups, such as if they may relate to the capacity of persons with disabilities and may limit the forms of means of verification they may submit to those prejudicial to their capacity, or when performance indicators may overlap with cultural or religious practices, the HRMPSB shall invite a representative of subject marginalized group to serve as observer to these discussions.
e. Performance Rewarding and Development Planning
i. Performance rating and rewarding shall be based on equal opportunity, merit, and performance of the employee and shall not be based on age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, civil status, disability, religion, ethnicity, social status, economic standing, paternity and filiation, political affiliation, pregnancy, or such other factors which run counter with the principle of equal opportunity.
ii. Employees shall be given the opportunity to undertake professional development programs and interventions that are designed towards enhancing their knowledge and skills.
D. Rewards and Recognition
PRAISE, or Program on Rewards and Incentives for Service Excellence is the CSC mandated program for rewards and recognition, wherein the Department is not precluded from establishing and implementing its own. The following must be observed in the conduct of Rewards and Recognition programs:
1. Each personnel has the independence to nominate anyone without fear of judgment and intimidation. In the same manner, each personnel has the opportunity to be nominated if they meet the required criteria.
2. Subject to the existing policies of the DepEd, the rewards and recognition of individual and/ or unit/ group shall be based on merit, performance and accomplishments and shall not be based on age, gender orientation/ identity/ expression, familial status, disability, religion, ethnicity, political affiliation, social status or other factors/personal circumstances which run counter to the principles of equal opportunity.
3. Any acts of discrimination in all the processes of the rewards and recognition shall be prohibited.
4. The DepEd Central, Regional and Division Office level PRAISE Committee shall guarantee the adoption of the Equal Opportunity Principle in all stages and process of the search and awarding in all types of rewards and recognition programs at any level of governance.
5. Membership in the PRAISE Committee shall also adopt equal opportunity principle wherein qualified official or employee regardless of age, gender orientation/identity/expression, familial status, disability, religion, ethnicity, political affiliation, social status can be a member of the committee.
6. Equal opportunities shall be given to all individuals and those belonging to marginalized groups. Personnel belonging to marginalized groups should not be left behind because of their limitations and restrictions.
7. Appropriate, inclusive and equitable criteria shall be developed and implemented by the PRAISE Committee and must have been met by nominees or awardees to be considered for Rewards and Recognition.
8. Persons with Disabilities who live with physical or sensory impairments are not limited to participate in the Rewards and Recognition program.
9. Employees belonging to marginalized groups are consulted and actively engaged in planning, designing, and implementing R&R programs and initiatives.
10. Communications or announcements pertaining to rewards and recognition programs (call for nominations) must be properly disseminated to all individuals and those belonging to marginalized groups.
11. All types of awards or incentives must be appropriate to all individuals including those in the marginalized groups, subject to the existing guidelines.
12. Nominees from marginalized groups who have capacity issues to develop, prepare, and submit documents and means of verification needed to secure their nominations must be provided Reasonable Accommodation to ensure they are duly informed about the process and that they can deliver said documents and means of verification. Some Reasonable Accommodations may include, among others:
a. Providing them relevant and appropriate information
b. Providing support in writing required narratives
c. Assisted in the processing and submission of required documents
d. Providing transportation support in cases that they personally submit documents/ attend/participate in a rewards and recognition program
e. There shall be a representative from marginalized groups in the planning, designing, implementation and evaluation of nominations for rewards and recognition of the PRAISE Committee to ensure inclusivity in the processes actions.
E. Other HR Systems
1. Organization Development and Change Management: In determining organizational health and effectiveness, the inclusion lens must be integrated as a standard. The following must be ensured:
a. Frameworks being used by DepEd in various programs are to be revisited analyzed and to ensure integration of the inclusion lens must be ensured.
b. Standards for inclusion for marginalized groups must be continually developed for marginalized groups, and updated and aligned generally eve:cy three years, or as needed. It should also be, to ensure alignment aligned with UNCRPD, national laws, CSC requirements, and policies from other oversight agencies. policies.
c. Collection of practices of Reasonable Accommodation, and analysis to objectively determine the organizational maturity in the inclusion journey, and development of next steps undertaken annually.
d. Integration of inclusion policies/ guidelines standards in the Department's standards and practice of change management in the Department of inclusion standards to ensure applicability to individuals in marginalized groups.
e. In designing change initiatives, marginalized groups are consulted
2. HR Administration: In the provision of Benefit Administration, Compensation, HR Records, and implementing Leaves and Work Hours, specific to individuals from marginalized groups, the following must be ensured:
a. Upon request, copies of HR documents including but not limited to certificates, leave forms, payslip are provided in alternative format accessible to the person requesting.
b. Provision of requesting mechanism that may be through hard copy documents, but must include an acceptable request mechanism through text-based and machine readable electronic format forms, and/ or online accessible systems
c. For employees with mobility difficulties, allow representatives in securing HR documents provided that appropriate authorization documents are secured.
d. Reasonable flexibility in the implementation of working hours for individuals from marginalized groups, such as those allowed by the Civil Service Commission, or other reasonable circumstances (e.g. CSC Resolution no. 020720 s. 2002, breastfeeding breaks for new mothers, etc.)
e. No diminution of benefits or compensation due to or incidental to a person being part of a marginalized group {e.g. not meeting bonus requirements because an individual is not able to attend flag ceremony because of mobility issues}.
f. Conduct of consultations on how to ensure inclusion in personnel services
g. Special leaves (solo parent leaves, maternity /paternity leave) should be communicated and made available to all eligible employees.
h. In the provision of special allowances and other benefits such as Hardship allowance, it should not exclude members of marginalized groups
i. The Department policies on Teaching loads and working hours as per DO No. 16, s. 2009 (addendum to DO 291, s. 2008) must be applied to teachers from marginalized groups
j. Data pertaining to the demographics of individuals in marginalized groups shall be collected, and consolidated, to ensure that accurate and appropriate data and information of employees with disability are captured, stored, and used subject to the provision and allowances
under the Data Privacy Act.
k. There shall be representatives from marginalized groups in the development of procedures of HR administration and other activities in relation thereto in order to ensure accessibility and inclusivity.
3. Employee Relations: The Department shall not tolerate any instance of bullying, ridicule, violence, oppression, and any attempts to belittle the capability of employees with disability and those belonging to marginalized groups. All such incidences shall be reported to the office or person responsible for compliance oversight under the Inclusion Governance System in the appropriate governance level for documentation, and to their immediate supervisor for redress of grievance or disciplining authority in case of administrative offenses.
a. Discrimination, bullying, gender-based violence, vilification or public ridicule of persons with disability, and all other forms of violence or oppression committed against members of marginalized groups are actionable offenses and shall be subject to administrative rules and laws.
b. Offenses that are subject to applicable national and local laws and statutes must be reported to the authorities, and the necessary criminal, civil, and administrative legal proceedings must be initiated against offenders.
c. An inclusion specialist is required to be present in the grievance committee or formal investigation committee, whichever is applicable, and provide technical assistance and subject matter expertise if the act complained of by an individual from a marginalized group is perceived by the complainant or the committee to be a result of discrimination, oppression, or violence on the basis of their protective characteristics.
d. Grievance machineries for the employment concerns of employees belonging to the marginalized sector shall be known and readily accessible. Process and standards should comply with accessibility guidelines to ensure equal access to the system. The following must be observe to ensure accessibility:
i. All documents and decisions relating to the proceedings shall be in accessible format (see section 7 .2.3 Inclusive Communication)
ii. Auxiliary services (e.g. sign language interpreters, regular language interpreters} should be provided as required by any person involved in the proceedings.
iii. Where a grievance case involves a person with mobility difficulties, the location of meetings and grievance hearings must be at an accessible location.
iv. Employees belonging to marginalized groups are provided orientation on their rights and the reporting and redress mechanisms (i.e. grievance machineries, inclusion policy) in place to ensure that these rights are protected are observed.
v. Employees belonging to these marginalized sectors are encouraged to self-organize pursuant to the existing governing laws, rules and regulations, and when applicable be provided by the Department with support, subject to existing policy.
4. Employee Welfare, and Wellness: A framework on employee welfare and wellness must include among others a component for employees belonging to marginalized groups that will bring participation of these groups into the mainstream. The following must also be observed:
a. Equal opportunities shall be given to all individuals and those belonging to marginalized groups. Personnel belonging to marginalized groups should not be left behind because of their limitations and restrictions.
b. Employees belonging to marginalized groups are consulted and actively engaged in planning, designing, implementing and monitoring Employee Welfare and Wellness programs and initiatives.
c. Promotes and implements inclusive and holistic Employee Welfare and Wellness programs and initiatives.
d. Provides all necessary equitable measures and Reasonable Accommodations to marginalized groups to be able to participate in the welfare and wellness programs
e. Ensures that all components belonging to marginalized groups are covered in the Health and wellness profiling of employees
f. Ensure that all types of welfare and wellness programs must be appropriate and based on the needs of all individuals including those in the marginalized groups
g. Appropriate facilities (e.g. elevators, dedicated ramps, comfort rooms, lactation room for nourishing mothers, etc.) and auxiliary services shall (e.g. specialized biometrics, assistive devices, sign language interpreters, etc.) be provided available and provided.
h. Any acts of discrimination in all employee welfare and wellness programs shall be prohibited.
i. Persons with Disabilities who live with physical or sensory impairments are not limited to participate in the welfare and wellness activities.
j. Communications or announcements pertaining to wellness programs and activities must be properly disseminated to all individuals and those belonging to marginalized groups.
X. Glossary
A. Assistive devices - are external devices that are designed, made, or adapted to assist a person to perform a particular task.
B. Auxiliary support - includes devices, technology or a human being with specific expertise that assist a person with disability to perform a task with quality and at par with peers without disabilities (e.g. screen readers, motorized wheel-chairs, sign language interpreters).
C. Equality - the state where marginalized sectors like the ones with disabilities are equally accessing, competing, and working with their peers without disabilities under similar environments or organizations. The state of equality is achieved by employing a combined strategy of equitable measures and action.
D. Equity - the act or measure that completes the gaps in a certain environment or activity which intends to equalize the opportunities for all marginalized sectors, like an affirmative action in a policy, process, or practice.
E. Machine Readable Documents - are documents which are digital, can be processed by computer software such as screen readers, the contents of which can be copied and pasted using digital tools.
F. Person-first principle - is a linguistic prescription or verbal practice for the community to adopt especially when addressing persons with disabilities. By doing so, it communicates that persons with disabilities are valued as "people first." The guiding principle is to refer to the person first, not the disability.
G. Protective Characteristics - Any personal traits or characteristics that have no implication on the display of competencies of an individual. As defined in the UK quality Act of 2010, Protective Characteristics may include the following: age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and single partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion and beliefs, sex and sexual orientation.
A full copy of DepEd Order No. 030, s. 2025 below:
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