WHEN most couples dream of starting a business, they often imagine cafes, online shops, or property ventures. For Ronald and Ruth Catingan, however, the calling was far more personal: creating a school for children with special needs.
Founded in 2011 in Cebu City, Learning Ladder Children’s House Inc. has grown from a single preparatory school into a niche education network with campuses in Dumaguete City and Surigao City, serving children with autism, ADHD and developmental delays.
Today, the school is at the forefront of a growing movement to expand early intervention and specialized education beyond big cities, with new sites being eyed in Bohol, Masbate, Bantayan Island and Metro Manila.
The idea was born out of Ruth’s background in occupational therapy and neurodevelopmental care, combined with Ronald’s experience in business.
“Instead of chasing the American dream, we decided to build something meaningful at home,” Ronald recalled.
For Ronald, who left a regional sales role at 3M in 2022 to focus fully on Learning Ladder, the mission was clear.
“We saw the gap, and we couldn’t just look away. What began as advocacy became a mission—and eventually, a business.”
Classes at Learning Ladder are intentionally small, with two teachers providing individualized support. The school, which first catered to learners with developmental needs, now integrates them with other students and offers programs from preschool through Grade 6.
The school has over 130 students in its Cebu campus alone, with approximately 75 percent of students in Cebu are SPED learners, with programs designed not just for academic progress but also for therapy, socialization and life skills.
‘We go where we are needed most’
In 2015, Ronald and Ruth brought the school to Dumaguete driven by the clamor of parents who had to travel to Cebu or Manila for therapy and assessments. Surigao soon followed, with similar demand from parents desperate for alternatives.
“We don’t go where it’s easiest,” Ronald said. “We go where we are needed most.”
The couple is now considering joint ventures and possible franchising but only with partners who share their values.
“This isn’t a model that scales quickly for profit — it’s built on quality, care and deep community involvement,” Ronald said. “This is a calling.”
Challenge
Despite its success, the biggest challenge is talent.
Qualified SPED teachers are in short supply nationwide, with many choosing to work abroad where pay is higher.
“Many of our teachers end up being hired in the U.S. or Australia,” Ronald admitted.
Senator Win Gatchalian recently flagged that public schools face a shortage of 7,651 special needs education teachers for School Year 2023–2024. Data as of December 2024 revealed that there are only 5,147 teachers catering to 323,344 learners with disabilities nationwide.
“One of the challenges in implementing inclusive education is the supply of qualified teachers,” Gatchalian said during a Senate review of Republic Act No. 11650, the Inclusive Education Act. “The intention is to address the supply issues in terms of teachers with knowledge in special needs education.”
For private providers like Learning Ladder, the shortage is felt even more acutely, particularly in suburban and rural areas where turnover is high and opportunities abroad lure many teachers away.
To cope, Learning Ladder invests in internal training and professional development, preparing teachers to deliver individualized interventions and help students transition into larger mainstream schools.
But policy hurdles remain. “We consistently rank well in terms of program outcomes, but DepEd’s rules don’t always reflect the realities of special education,” Ronald said.
Business with a soul
Despite these challenges, the business model has proven sustainable. Some campuses now run waitlists of up to a year.
The Catingans describe Learning Ladder as a business with a soul. The school doesn’t only teaches children with life skills but also engages and empowers parents to promote inclusion beyond classrooms.
“Inclusion starts with understanding,” Ruth explained. “We want families and educators to see that every child can thrive — with the right support. We teach them to become independent until they can now confidently blend in the society.”
As demand for specialized education continues to grow in suburban and second-tier cities, the couple remains cautiously optimistic about scaling up. Their long-term vision is to integrate Learning Ladder into a broader ecosystem of therapy, parent empowerment and community-based hubs.
“Our success isn’t measured by revenue,” Ronald said. “It’s measured by every child who learns to speak, to read, to connect — and by every parent who finally feels they’re not alone.”
For Learning Ladder, the journey is far from over. But in each classroom filled with six children and two teachers, hope is built one small step at a time. / KOC