Senators Joel Villanueva and Bam Aquino on Wednesday called for the expansion of training programs for developmental pediatricians as new findings showed that only 109 certified specialists serve an estimated five million learners with disabilities nationwide.
In a news release, the 2nd Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM II) reported that nearly half of the country’s 156 developmental pediatrician clinic listings are concentrated in Metro Manila, leaving several regions severely underserved.
Villanueva, an EDCOM II co-chairperson, called for additional consultant and fellowship positions in three government training hospitals to increase the number of specialists qualified to assess children with developmental disabilities.
“These are low-hanging fruits. If we can capacitate these hospitals to train more specialists, maybe we can help expand access to developmental assessment and support services,” he said.
The three institutions are the Philippine General Hospital, Philippine Children’s Medical Center, and National Children’s Hospital.
EDCOM II found that only five hospitals nationwide offer fellowship training in developmental and behavioral pediatrics, with most located in Metro Manila.
Aquino, also an EDCOM II co-chairperson, said the shortage forces families outside major urban centers to travel long distances for specialized assessments.
“The concentration of developmental pediatricians in a few regions shows the need to expand access to specialists nationwide. Children who need developmental assessment should not have to contend with limited local services or travel long distances to reach a specialist,” Aquino said.
He emphasized the need to strengthen the specialist workforce and referral systems to ensure timely assessment regardless of where children live.
Regional disparities
EDCOM II data showed that Metro Manila accounts for 47 percent of the country’s developmental pediatrician clinic listings, followed by Calabarzon with 15 percent and Central Luzon with 12 percent.
Only 7.7 percent of the listings are in the Visayas and 9 percent in Mindanao, while Caraga and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao have no listed developmental pediatricians.
The commission also found that 312,383, or 63.4 percent, of the 492,902 public-school learners with disabilities recorded for School Year 2025-2026 were identified through observed disability manifestations rather than formal diagnoses.
Only 180,519 learners, or 36.6 percent, had formal diagnoses.
EDCOM II Executive Director Karol Mark Yee said the shortage is particularly severe in Bicol and Soccsksargen, where the developmental pediatrician-to-learner ratios reach 1:37,068 and 1:24,728, respectively.
“This is of great concern because learners do not just need diagnosis but continued support also from specialists,” Yee said.
The commission called for stronger coordination among the Department of Health, Department of Education, Commission on Higher Education, PhilHealth, and local governments to expand specialist training, improve referrals, and bring developmental assessment services closer to underserved communities.
The shortage also affects access to PhilHealth’s Z Benefit package for developmental disabilities, which requires assessment by qualified specialists at contracted facilities before children can receive covered rehabilitation services. (PNA)
