ICYMI: Taguig’s Yakap Center Helps Children With Disabilities Thrive

ICYMI, Taguig City, has opened its Yakap Center for Children with Disabilities.

The Yakap Center for Children with Disabilities is a four-story facility that opened in February in Barangay Calzada-Tipas. According to the Taguig LGU, the center offers pediatric physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, and specialized consultations with rehabilitation doctors and developmental pediatricians.

What is the Taguig Yakap Center

Designed to cater to the needs of children with disabilities, the Taguig Yakap Center offers a safe and welcoming space for specialized therapy, education, and life skills training. The center provides educational programs such as an Early Intervention Program for young children, a Transition Program for older kids, a Deaf/Hard of Hearing Program, a Braille Literacy Program, and a Pre-Vocational program to prepare children for independent living and employment.

Aside from these, the center also offers the following facilities to support its beneficiaries:

• E-Library and Multimedia Room for accessible education
• Arts & Crafts Room, Music Room, and Dance Studio for creative expression
• Early Intervention and Transition Rooms to support learning and development
• Hydrotherapy and Sensory Rooms for rehabilitation
• Therapy rooms for physical, occupational, and speech therapy
• Braille signage on room entrances for accessibility

Moreover, the Taguig Yakap Center will also offer a livelihood program, teaching beneficiaries essential skills through Equal Grounds Cafe, located right next to the center. Beneficiaries can gain work experience as baristas, kitchen staff, and servers, helping them develop job skills, earn a living, and ultimately, become self-sufficient individuals.

The Department of Education (DepEd) lauded the new center, saying that other local government units can use it as a model for inclusive education, therapy, and skills training. “Nang makita ko ang inyong pasilidad, and unang pumasok sa isip ko ay ‘Sana all,’” DepEd Assistant Secretary for Curriculum and Teaching Jerome Buenviaje said. “Congratulations to our Taguig LGU for extending this blessing to the citizens of Taguig.”

Taguig Mayor Lani Cayetano emphasized that the Yakap Center is a testament to the city’s commitment to inclusion and dedication to implementing impactful programs that uplift the lives of persons with disabilities and their families. “Ang programang ito ay patunay na sa Taguig, hindi lang tayo nagpa-plano–tinitiyak nating nagiging totoo ang ating mga pangarap para sa ating mga kababayan,” she said.

The center currently has 265 enrolled children, catering to a wide range of medical and developmental conditions, including autism, Down’s syndrome, cerebral palsy, learning disabilities, and speech-language disorders.

Aside from the Taguig Yakap Center, Quezon City also has a center for children with disabilities. Kabahagi began in June 2017 and is considered a development initiative where stakeholders can acquire knowledge and skills that empower them. Currently, the center provides free healthcare, empowerment, and livelihood services for children with disabilities and their families, including rehabilitation assessment, parent training with hands-on therapy, community engagement activities, advocacy and community-building information services, and livelihood and skills training.

Read here for establishments that support persons with disabilities.