BDO Foundation, DepEd and Huawei launch partnership

As COVID-19 continues to affect the return of students and teachers to classrooms, the corporate social responsibility arm of BDO Unibank has been finding ways to develop innovative learning materials that can be easily accessed online and shared offline.

BDO Foundation partnered with the Department of Education (DepEd) and Huawei Philippines for the development of supplemental learning materials that integrate key concepts into the teaching of Science and Mathematics in schools across the country.

The partnership was officially launched in a virtual event witnessed by BDO Unibank and BDO Foundation chairperson Teresita Sy-Coson, BDO Foundation president Mario A. Deriquito, and BDO Foundation trustee Lucy Co Dy. Also in attendance were DepEd secretary Leonor Magtolis-Briones, DepEd undersecretary Diosdado San Antonio, DepEd undersecretary Tonisito Umali and Huawei Philippines vice president Daniel Guo.

The launch was highlighted by the ceremonial signing of the memorandum of agreement for the implementation of the program dubbed the Search for the Best Supplemental Learning Materials in the Teaching of Defined Key Concepts in Science and Mathematics.

Globe, DepEd, Sen. Villanueva make digital learning more accessible with GoLearn

A gap in access is a gap in learning.  With this in mind, Globe joined hands to give educators, parents, and students access to highly engaging programs and affordable digital solutions so there will be no reason for learning to stop.

To make the education stakeholders feel more optimistic for this school year, Globe has launched GoLearn, the unified, company-wide platform aimed at helping the country achieve 21st Century Learning.   Through the initiative, Globe is looking forward to creating a better tomorrow for the sector.

Globe builds teacher skills on early language literacy

Globe has launched another professional development training for teachers now focusing on early language literacy. Recognized by the Department of Education National Educators Academy of the Philippines, (DepED - NEAP)  this series of webinars coaches educators to effectively help very young students develop their communication skills through blended learning. This is in line with the DepEd campaign to improve teacher productivity and student performance.  

The training is led by Teach for the Philippines (TFP) under the banner of Globe’s Global Filipino Teachers (GFT) program featuring webinars that promote 21st century learning and digital resources for teachers. TFP is an award-winning non-stock, non-profit organization that works to provide Filipino children with inclusive, relevant, and excellent education.

A look into education’s new normal-DepEd shares insights on the first weeks of classes

Various industries in the Philippines are already on their slow but steady path to recovery and that includes the education sector. Despite the compromises and major changes made in the educational system to navigate through the now normal, the Department of Education (DepEd) has successfully opened classes for SY 2020-2021. 

“DepEd recognizes the challenges of the school year ahead, but if we opted for an academic freeze, we would have lost many months of the childrens’ learning,” said DepEd Secretary Leonor Magtolis Briones. “The opening of the school year has generally been very successful, and we will continue to face any challenge that lies ahead with great resolve to continue education in the country.” 

Shopee partners with World Vision to support young Filipino learners through Abutin Na10 campaign

Last June, the Department of Education (DepEd) and World Vision launched a fundraising campaign entitled “Abutin Na10”. The initiative aims to ensure that millions of Filipino learners today continue to have access to good education despite the pandemic. Funds raised will directly support DepEd’s implementation of multi-modal learning approaches.

Months have passed, and many have been greatly affected by the COVID-19 health crisis. The children living in the poorest of the poor are among the most vulnerable. Since its launch, “Abutin Na10” has drawn support from various public and private sectors. It shows that aside from health and other basic needs, the nation recognizes education as a high priority today.

DepEd strengthens preparations for distance learning with NEAP transformation and dry-run simulations

With the opening of classes being moved from August 24 to October 5, the Department of Education (DepEd) continues to strengthen its rigorous preparations for SY 2020-2021. DepEd is using the weeks leading up to October 5 to fill in the remaining gaps for this year’s school opening, and to address the challenges of adjusting to education’s new normal. 

The printing of self-learning modules (SLMs) has been the utmost priority of the Department, especially with modular learning being the preferred learning modality across different regions. Most regions such as Region I, Region IV-A, and NCR are already at the advanced stage of preparing these modules, with 80-100% of SLMs already printed. Other regions are also making good progress, with only four out of over 200 School Division Offices (SDOs) having a completion rate below 25%. 

Las Piñas school heads initiate voluntary drive to support World Vision’s Abutin Na10

Abutin Na10 logo

A week after the launch of World Vision’s Abutin Na10 (to be read as ‘na-ten’) campaign, DepEd Las Piñas initiated a city-wide advocacy drive among its stakeholders to support the country’s Basic Education Learning Continuity Plan. 

“We are a family under one country so we ought to be compassionate for others who are in need, especially the most vulnerable children,” said Dr. Joel Torrecampo, Superintendent of the Department of Education (DepEd) Schools Division Office of Las Piñas City.

Dr. Torrecampo, known by his colleagues to be hands-on and tech-savvy, immediately posted an appeal to his social media groups followed mostly by his fellow DepEd officials and school heads. He led a simple voluntary ‘pass the hat’ initiative to help last-mile learners cope with the impact of COVID-19. 

In less than two weeks, they were able to raise Php 70,000, which they turned over to World Vision Education Manager Geomel P. Jetonzo and DepEd Undersecretary for Legislative Liaison Office, External Partnerships Service and Project Management Service, Atty. Tonisito M.C. Umali, Esq.

Teachers, parents join Globe and DepEd in kids’ cyber safety talk

The shift to online learning for school year 2020-2021 imposes a lot of challenges to teachers, parents and students alike. Among these challenges, ensuring children’s online safety is the most critical. As a matter of fact, the Philippines ranks highly when it comes to online risks for children. According to Georges Dizon from Globe Business Enablement and Training Group, “The Philippines is a top source of child pornography. The country is likewise the second most dangerous online (or with high online risks) according to the DQ institute study in 2018.” 

Secretary Briones lauds World Vision initiative to assist DepEd's learning continuity plan

Sec. Leonor Magtolis Briones of the Department of Education (DepEd) commended World Vision's massive educational fund drive "Abutin Na10" that aims to fund the reproduction of self-learning materials and gadgets to help thousands of students facing the new school year yet challenged by the COVID-19 crisis. 

The education chief asserts that “education must continue” with or without the threat of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) because it “is perhaps the greatest legacy we can leave our learners and our children.”

Briones said that "the health emergency has affected so many lives around the world, and has damaged our education curriculum, class schedules and overturned the system of delivering learning to children."

World Vision backs DepEd learning continuity plan

Word Vision Philippines through its Chairperson, Chief Justice Reynato S. Puno (ret.), pledged its solidarity to the Department of Education (DepEd)’s Brigada Eskwela (BE) and Oplan Balik Eskwela (OBE).

During the national BE and OBE campaigns kick-off, Chief Justice Puno said World Vision is highly honored to be considered a partner of DepEd in serving all Filipino children.

“Our decades of collaboration between World Vision and the Department of Education have seen millions of students achieve improved functional literacy through equitable access to age-appropriate, culture-sensitive and contextualized learning process,” the former Supreme Court chief magistrate shared.

Cebuana Lhuillier searches for outstanding ALS teacher

Cebuana Lhuillier Foundation, Inc. (CLFI) has partnered with the Department of Education (DepEd) for the first-ever National Alternative Learning System Teachers’ Achievement Recognition (NALSTAR) which honors and recognizes exemplary alternative learning system (ALS) teachers.

DepEd, Muntinlupa LGU recognize partnership with PCPPI and private sectors as key to quality education

The Department of Education, the city of Muntinlupa, and Pepsi-Cola Products Philippines, Inc. (PCPPI) cemented their partnership and commitment to quality education at a turnover ceremony held at the Muntinlupa Elementary School (MES).

“Naging magandang engagement yung partnership namin with Pepsi (Our partnership with Pepsi was a very good engagement),” said Dove Cometa, Project Development Officer from the Department of Education, who spoke on behalf of Undersecretary Tonisito Umali, in giving recognition to PCPPI for the company’s involvement in the Adopt-A-School Program

Epson Strengthens partnership with DepEd on Gift of Brightness project

The partnership between the Department of Education (DepEd) and Epson Philippines on the digital imaging company’s Gift of Brightness program for youth and education was formalized during the Memorandum of Agreement ceremonial signing for DepEd partners held recently at the L.B. Soriano Hall, SEAMEO Innotech in Quezon City.

As a company, Epson has always supported the youth and education through various projects and advocacies, one of which is the Gift of Brightness program, started in 2013.

Pru Life UK supports Brigada Eskwela 2017

Brigada Eskwela 2017 volunteers together with
Upper Bicutan Elementary School Principal
Dr. Cheryl Fernandez (sixth from the left)

In time for the opening of classes, Pru Life UK has once again called its employees into action to help with the maintenance and beautification of Upper Bicutan Elementary School in Taguig.  This is in support of the Department of Education’s (DepEd) 2017 Brigada Eskwela.

Already on its sixth straight year, Pru Life UK initiated half-day volunteer activities for four days, which involved the general cleaning of classrooms, as well as the sanding and varnishing of students’ armchairs. Considered as the bayanihan for schools, Brigada Eskwela is a yearly program that fosters volunteerism among government agencies and non-government organizations to clean and prepare public schools across the country.

Pencils to Write Children’s Future

For most people, the pencil is a mere writing or drawing implement. Placed in the hands of impoverished school children, it becomes a tool to sketch the future.

Thanks to the Council for the Welfare of Children, PNP, Department of Education (DepEd), SM Cares, AMSPEC, more underprivileged public elementary school students will each get their own pencils for their use in school. Going beyond the initial target of raising one million pencils from donors, the nationwide campaign collected over 3M pencils in time for the celebration of the 24th National Children’s Month.

Over 1M students enrolled in Senior HS

At past 11am today (June 17), the Department of Education (DepEd) breached the 1 million mark reporting that 1,009,139 Grade 11 learners are now enrolled in Senior High Schools (SHS) nationwide. DepEd is expecting numbers to rise further since as of June 17, DepEd records show that over 1,600 schools are yet to submit and report their SHS enrollment data to DepEd.  

"Napatunayan ng Pilipino na handa tayo sa pagbabago. Nakatawid na tayo sa liwanag. Kaya naman pala ng Pinoy kung ating pagtutulungan," Education Secretary Br. Armin Luistro FSC said.

Of the over 1M learners, around 691,000 SHS students are enrolled in public schools (DepEd-funded schools and public universities and colleges) and more than 317,000 are in private schools.

DepEd's real time Learner Information System revealed that some 610,000 chose to take the Academic track; over 394,000 Technical-Vocational-Livelihood track; 2,728 are in Arts and Design track, and 1,537 in Sports track.

DepEd provides 184 SHS with IT equipment to support K to 12 implementation

The Department of Education (DepEd) is set to deliver information technology (IT) equipment to stand-alone Senior High Schools (SHS) nationwide to support the implementation of the K to12 Program.

Education Secretary Br. Armin A. Luistro FSC said, “What we need is to bring technology into the classroom and not be fully dependent on a textbook or the teacher. Computers will never replace teachers. Technology should allow teachers to spend more time to those who need it more.”

Each Senior High School will receive an IT equipment package which consists of 7 host personal computers (PCs), 42 terminals, 2 laptops, 2 projectors, 7 uninterruptible power supplies, 7 automatic voltage regulators and other network accessories.

DepEd promotes positive discipline in everyday teaching

The Department of Education (DepEd), in cooperation with E-Net Philippines and Save the Children, will launch the Primer on Positive Discipline for Everyday Teaching on Monday, June 6, 2016, 9 am at the DepEd NCR Conference Hall, Department of Education-National Capital Region, Regional Office.

The Primer was created to help teachers apply a positive approach in classroom management and will be distributed to teachers nationwide. The Primer will also be used as a training tool for positive discipline.

"This Primer will be most valuable to our teachers so that they can cope with the day to day challenges of having to deal with young, active learners using positive reinforcement," Education Secretary Br. Armin A. Luistro FSC said.

DepEd receives over Php 8.4M worth of donations during Brigada Eskwela Kick-off

With the Brigada Eskwela 2016 kick-off and the preparation for the opening on June 13, various partners from the private sector donated boats, bicycles, solar-powered lamps, and school supplies that amounted to at least Php 8.4 million.

San Miguel Foundation, Inc. donated 1,000 bicycles worth Php 3,000,000 for several schools nationwide. 81 bicycles were distributed to students of Sta. Cruz Pingkian National High School, while 150 bicycles were given out to students of Kakiduguen National High School in Nueva Vizcaya.

Meanwhile, a boat was donated by Samsung Electronics Philippines Corporation to ferry 24 children to and from school in a remote community in Nueva Vizcaya.

Luistro welcomes Duterte’s support for K to 12

Several weeks before Senior High School officially starts on June 13, 2016, Education Secretary Br. Armin A. Luistro FSC has welcomed the next administration’s decision to support the K to 12 program.

“I am grateful and very appreciative that the new administration [of Incoming President Rodrigo Duterte] is supportive of the educational reforms that Department of Education (DepEd), Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), and Commission on Higher Education (CHED), along with our stakeholders, have worked on the past six years,” Luistro said.

In a press briefing held last May 23, Duterte said he now supports the K to 12 program after it was thoroughly explained to him.