(PRESS RELEASE)
More government and private corporations join the 2012 Brigada Eskwela, the annual national schools maintenance week spearheaded by the Department of Education which kicks off on Monday, May 21, in Justo Lukban Elementary School in Manila.
Brigada Eskwela enjoins the whole community to do repairs, maintenance and clean up of public schools prior to the opening of classes. This year’s Brigada is slated from May 21 to 26.
Education Secretary Br. Armin A. Luistro said Brigada Eskwela aims to make the school ready for the students and teachers when classes open in June. “Equally important, it hopes to revive the “bayanihan” spirit among Filipinos by engaging the participation of education stakeholders in the community. “The benefits of education redounds to many sectors of society, this is why we encourage everyone to pitch in,” explained Luistro.
Brigada does not accept cash donation. What it solicits are cleaning / repair materials, other non-cash assistance and community volunteers who paint the classroom, repair chairs and tables, leaking roofs and faucets, cement walkways, spruce up the garden and surroundings.
Among the government and private organizations which signified their participation to the Brigada are the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Amspec, US Aid for International Development (USAID), Chamber of Mines, ABS-CBN E-Media, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, Globe Telecom, Kabisig ng Kalahi, Petron Corp., Philam Life, Philippine Business for Social Progress and the Philippine National Bank, among others.
This year’s Brigada Eskwela focuses on school sanitation and on improving the schools of indigenous communities. “School hygiene should not be overlooked as well as the schools catering to IPs,” Luistro explained.
Based on DepEd Memo No. 56 series of 2012, the DepEd-wide activity will start with a motorcade from the Central Office in Pasig at 6:00 in the morning en route to the Justo Lukban Elementary School where the clean-up drive will officially kick-off with Sec. Luistro.
Simultaneous Brigada activities will be observed nationwide during the week. Other DepEd officials will also join the caravan in other areas nationwide. Undersecretary Albert Muyot will be in Alfonso Lista Elementary School in Ifugao while Usec. Yolanda Quijano will visit Ligao Central School in Ligao City, Albay.
Usec. Francisco Varela will be in Balagtas Central School in Bulacan and Assistant Secretary Reynaldo Laguda will join the activities in Magsaysay Elementary School in Samar.
Further, Asec. Armando Ruiz will be part of the maintenance efforts in Kalibo Integrated School in Aklan while Asec. Elena Ruiz will visit a school in the City of Naga.
To date, it has generated an equivalent amount of over P2.02 billion from donations in kind and man-hours spent in school repairs which would have otherwise been taken from the maintenance and other operating expenses (MOOE) of public schools.
Brigada enjoys full participation of all public elementary and secondary schools nationwide.
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As a requisite to upcoming reforms as well as to check on schools’ preparedness to serve the incoming batch of enrollees for the new school year, the Department of Education (DepEd) today leads an inspection of one of the country’s highly populated public schools.
DepEd officials led by Assistant Secretary for Planning Jesus Lorenzo Mateo undertake the agency’s pre-school opening inspection at the Ramon Magsaysay (Cubao) High School (RMHS) in Cubao, Quezon City. Last year, the school had a total of 6,141 students in its 83 classrooms. This school year, the school is expecting its number of student enrollees to reach 6,500.
Said Mateo, “DepEd’s visit is geared towards making us appreciate first-hand the condition of schools, that is, even before classes start. Considered a representative of the country’s public school system, Ramon Magsaysay High School helps us see for ourselves what problems are needing attention.”
For his part, RMHS School Principal Dr. Romulo Rocena said, “We appreciate that DepEd management is taking concrete steps which is expected to lead to better learning environment, adequate teaching materials and competency, as well as more comprehensive curricula.”
The roundabout at the school’s premises showed a tight distribution of classrooms for the estimated 6,500 new enrollees this school year, with 50 students to share one classroom and one teacher every class time.
Rocena also shared that most teachers at RMHS are presently undergoing training to increase their competence in teaching the new curricula under DepEd’s K to 12 program.
Other areas are on tight sharing as well, like the comfort rooms. Rocena even mentions a private utility firm for helping provide their sanitation facilities, noting how the private sector can help meet the demands of public schools.
Said Mateo, “Reforms are incessant of course, but we need oculars like these to validate reported problems with the end-goal of opening up even greater opportunities for educational reforms, and potential partnerships with local governments and the private sector for specific and timely solutions.”
More needs to be done to improve the country’s educational system, added Mateo. These include meeting zero backlogs in teachers, classrooms and sanitation facilities. Nationwide, actual shortages in educational resources are as follows: 47,584 teachers; 19,579 classrooms; and 80,937 sanitation facilities or comfort rooms.
An important indicator of the government’s program to improve the country’s educational system also include meeting the government target for National Achievement Test (NAT) mean-percentage-scores of 75 percent for both elementary and high school in SY 2016-17.
According to Rocena, RMHS is looking at improving its National Achievement Test (NAT) mean-percentage-scores (MPS) for high school. The school’s NAT average scores for its high school students were registered at 44.65 % in SY 2009-2010 and 47.65% in SY 2010-2011 to improve its rank from 28th to 21st out of 46 high schools.
Rocena said that the school’s NAT score will hopefully go up every year to reach the government’s target of 75 percent for both elementary and secondary levels.
Said Mateo, “the DepEd cannot do this alone. In the coming weeks, we will be opening reform initiatives to all sectors, as the country’s educational system moves towards solving these perennial problems.”
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The Department of Education has concluded a series of training of trainers on the significant features and core elements of the K to 12 curriculum which they will echo to teachers who will teach the Grade 1 and Grade 7 (first year high school) curriculum starting school year 2012-2013.
DepEd is set to implement the Grade 1 and Grade 7 curriculum in all public elementary and secondary schools nationwide when schools open this June.
The training of trainers for the implementation of the Grade 1 curriculum was handled by subject area convenors and curriculum writers as well as trainers on mother tongue-based education from DepEd regional and division offices. On the other hand, half of the trainers for the Grade 7 curriculum came from teacher education institutions, centers of excellence and centers of development in education identified by DepEd. The other half were expert trainers on each subject area from the DepEd regions.
In both trainings, the Bureaus of Elementary and Secondary Education gave the participants an orientation on the curriculum framework as well as assessment framework for elementary and secondary level.
Trained to be trainers for the Grade 1 curriculum were education programs specialists, department heads and master teachers.
Over 3,000 participants composed of 1,545 Grade 7 trainers and 1,478 elementary trainers attended the training on Filipino, English, Mathematics, Science, Health, Music, Arts and Physical Education, and Araling Panlipunan learning areas. They are expected to comprise the national core of trainers on the K to 12 curriculum.
“It is an honor to be chosen as one of the K to 12 trainers and be a part of this very significant education reform program and we look forward to the effective implementation of this program in all public schools nationwide,” said Erlinda Barcelo, division coordinator in Filipino and mother tongue-based multi-lingual education (MTB-MLE) in Cotabato City.
DepEd is currently conducting a training program for some 73,655 Grade 1 teachers and 70,227 Grade 7 teachers from public schools who will teach the initial K to 12 curriculum beginning this school year. The teachers training on Grade 1 and Grade 7 curriculum runs from May 7 to June 1, 2012.
Meanwhile, the DepEd Central Office has instructed the regional directors to accommodate teachers from private schools who signified their intention to participate in the training program on the implementation of the new curriculum.
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The Department of Health has substantially reduced the certification fee charged to the Department of Education — a requirement in securing land titles for public schools, many of which remain untitled for many years.
“We fully appreciate the move of the DOH which means that we could cover more public schools and secure more titles because of the big reduction in certification fees,” said Education Secretary Armin A. Luistro FSC.
In an Administrative Order signed by DOH Secretary Enrique Ona, the fees for the issuance of certification on site suitability of public schools had been reduced from P2,800.00 to P500.00.
One of the requirements for the issuance of the certificate pursuant to Presidential Memorandum No. 28 dated January 29,1993 includes recommendation and clearance from the regional health director and the DOH secretary himself in the case of public school sites.
A certification can be issued if the site has been used exclusively for educational activities for a long period of time, the DOH order said.
DepEd has on its list public school sites which are either untitled or unregistered. Although covered by Deeds of Donation, these properties without its own title remain vulnerable to encroachment, illegal titling and adverse claims from private as well as public entities.
Luistro explained: “It is important that we have legal ownership of school sites to protect public schools from adverse claims and ensure that classes are not disrupted.”
DepEd has earlier entered into an agreement with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to facilitate the reservation of public school sites through the issuance of special patents or presidential proclamations. A Land Management Bureau was created purposely for the task of school title processing.
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The Department of Education is conducting the 2012 Special Program in Foreign Language (SPFL) Summer Training Courses for Teachers to boost their skills in teaching some of the most widely-used foreign languages.
The SPFL was initiated in school year 2009-2010 in selected public secondary schools first with Spanish, French and Japanese languages. The year after, German was added to the list and this year, the inclusion of Chinese language completed the course.
This annual program scheduled from April 12-May 22 this year is expected to further improve the capability of public school teachers on the diverse aspects of learning and teaching a second or foreign language.
“This is also in line with the thrust of K to 12 which is to prepare our future workforce for the global arena,” said Education Secretary Br. Armin A. Luistro FSC.
The SPFL aims to develop students’ skills in listening, reading, writing, speaking and viewing as fundamental to acquiring communicative competence in a second foreign language.
DepEd has coordinated with the Japan Foundation, Goethe Institut, Alliance Francais Manila and Cebu and The Cunfucius Institute of the Angeles University Foundation for the summer training on the languages.
SPFL is implemented in public high schools whose students have demonstrated competence in English and are capable of learning another foreign language.
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This year’s Brigada Eskwela being spearheaded by the Department of Education will be marked by two firsts. It will specifically focus on school sanitation and in improving the schools of indigenous communities.
One of the major thrusts of the 2012 Brigada Eskwela or National Schools Maintenance Week is the improvement of toilets and wash facilities — to give emphasis on the importance of school sanitation and hygiene.
Education Secretary Br. Armin A. Luistro FSC said when schools promote hygiene, they also help develop learners who are conscious of their own health and personal well being. “Our thrust in this year’s Brigada Eskwela is on school sanitation because it is also where personal hygiene is reinforced among our students which can, in turn, help develop their self-esteem,” Luistro added.
DepEd also enjoins the Brigada Eskwela participants to help improve the schools of indigenous communities. “As one of the underserved sectors, the schools catering to IPs should be a priority in the repair and cleanup activities,” Luistro explained.
Brigada Eskwela mobilizes parents, teachers, students, civic and business groups, local government units, non-government units and other community residents in repairing and sprucing up of schools two weeks before the opening of classes in June. The bayanihan spirit which the Brigada helps rekindle also encourages all sectors to be stakeholders in education.
This year’s Brigada is slated from May 21 to 26. The annual school maintenance program enjoins education stakeholders to contribute their time, effort and resources for the repair work. The goal is to ensure that the public schools are ready to receive students when school opens.
Based on DepEd Memo No. 56 series of 2012, the DepEd-wide activity will start with a motorcade from the Central Office in Pasig at 6:00 in the morning en route to the public school where the clean-up drive will officially lick-off.
Brigada Eskwela enjoins participants to donate construction and cleaning materials or serve as volunteers. It does not accept cash donations. To date, it has generated an equivalent amount of over P2 billion from donations in kind and manhours spent in school repairs which would have otherwise been taken from the maintenance and other operating expenses (MOOE) of public schools.
Brigada is 100% participated in by all 45,000 public elementary and secondary schools nationwide.
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Behind each athletic feat lies a myriad of challenges and moments of weakness. But for successful athletes, limitations only go so far.
While most children of their age are still sleeping, three girls head early morning to one of the sandy beaches of General Santos City. Challenged by the lack of modern facilities, the girls conduct their daily trainings in gymnastics at the beach, under the heat of the sun.
Ajah Joise Fuentes, Sophia Gayle Raagas and Nica Bernadette Castañares did not see the inadequacies as hurdles for them to represent Region XII in Women’s Artistic Gymnastics elementary level. Hailing from GenSan, Ajah and Sofia, 12, and Nica, 11, usually practice their basic stunts at the shore with their coach, Johnny Romualdo.
Coach Romualdo recalls how the team used to join cheerdance competitions. Whenever they would win, they’d choose to use part of the prize to invest in training facilities. When the team arrived in Pangasinan on May 3, they had to wait long hours to use the Palaro venue for practice since other regions had prior reservations.
All their hardwork and sacrifices truly paid off after the team, who used to practice with “dayami” as mats, landed on the 3rd spot during the Championships while Ajah managed to bag the 2nd Place for Individual All-Around Championships.
Meanwhile, proving that disability is never a hindrance to achieve recognition in the field of sports, a nine-year old gymnast from GenSan has struggled to establish his name all the way up to the 2012 Palaro.
John Paul Laurence “Long-Long” Cabido, younger brother of Nica, has an inborn defect on one of his arms, causing him to lose a thumb. He was never brought to a hospital for his deficiency. John Paul, however, does not view this as a disadvantage.
He was never short of love from his parents who even availed promo plane rides just to accompany him and Nica in their respective games in Pangasinan. His father, who works as a security guard, does his best to support his children’s dream. He and his wife hope that their children can get scholarships in college through their talents in sports.
Long-Long excels in Men’s Artistic Gymnastics and even managed to notch a silver medal in the elimination round. At first, he wanted to pursue Taekwondo but his family could not afford to buy him uniforms and equipment. Inspired by his elder sister, Long-Long began to train for gymnastics and was motivated to pursue the sports since then.
Bagging the bronze medal in the 2012 Palaro, Long-Long once again showed the world that having disabilities is not necessarily debilitating. Instead, it gave him the opportunity to see his condition in a different light and use it to inspire others.
Facing disability or challenges is a matter of perception. The inspiring stories of these athletes manifest how determination and courage can truly move mountains.
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ACT Teachers Party-List has turned over to the Department of Education some 1,046 copies of Diksyunaryong Sentinyal ng Wikang Filipino which the public schools can use to promote the Filipino language.
ACT Teachers Party-List Rep. Antonio Tinio said the Diksyunaryong Sentinyal was launched on the 75th anniversary of Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino (KWF) and was conceived to address the lack of educational materials in public schools, particularly a high-quality dictionary in Filipino.
“It is our goal to ensure that every library and every school has a dictionary of our national language,” Rep. Tinio said.
DepEd Secretary Br. Armin A. Luistro FSC has affirmed the department’s full support to the project, “To fully espouse the Filipino language in our education system is one of the advocacies of the department, for it will engender the spirit of national identity. Moreover, through this, the youth will be able to familiarize themselves further on the country’s rich culture.”
The production of 5,000 copies of the Diksyunaryong Sentinyal ng Wikang Filipino was funded through the lawmaker’s Priority Development Assistant Fund. The books are currently being distributed to schools in Luzon.
Meanwhile, ACT Teachers and KWF have turned-over 1,200 copies of the dictionary to the National Library for distribution to public libraries throughout the country.
DepEd is set to distribute the dictionaries to schools division of Bacolod, Iloilo, Cebu, Tacloban, Cagayan de Oro, Davao, Cotabato, Gen. Santos and Butuan.
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An equally exciting contest will be held parallel to the 2012 Palarong Pambansa – the search for the cleanest and greenest delegation billeting quarter.
The Department of Education has released the criteria in selecting the cleanest, greenest and most eco-friendly billeting quarters of participating regions in keeping with the pro-green policies of the Palaro.
The criteria for judging focus on the upkeep of the billeting quarters and the delegation’s serious compliance with environmental promotion. Part of the decision will also be based on the evaluation of the athletes’ behavior and the officials outside their quarters.
The implementation of a Clean and Green Palaro started in the 2011 Palaro held in Dapitan City with the department’s aim to promote environmentally-sound methods for resource conservation and environmental protection.
“The department pushes further the campaign for an eco-friendly Palaro following the success of last year’s initiatives,” Education Secretary Br. Armin A. Luistro FSC said.
Luistro believes that pursing eco-friendly policies is a lifetime commitment to the environment. “The Palaro is a good avenue to instill among our youth the sense of responsibility not only for themselves but for the society as well,” he stressed.
The delegation quarters will be randomly inspected by the judging committee members designated by the National Technical Management and Administration Committee (NTMAC). Evaluation will also be done at the event areas.
Winners for Cleanest and Greenest Billeting Quarters and runners-up will be awarded during the Awarding Ceremonies on the last day of the Palaro.
In the 2011 Palarong Pambansa which was held in Dapitan City, Zamboanga del Norte, Region IV-A (CALABARZON) was recognized to have the Cleanest and Greenest Billeting Quarter.
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The Department of Education has completed the preparations for the 2012 Palarong Pambansa and is all set to kick off the national sporting event in Lingayen, Pangasinan tomorrow, May 6.
“We are confident to say that all necessary arrangements have been secured to make this year’s Palaro truly remarkable and successful,” DepEd Secretary Br. Armin A. Luistro FSC said. The Secretary also promised a clean, green, and hi-tech Palaro this year.
DepEd tasked the National Screening and Accreditation Committee to facilitate the screening and accreditation of athletes and coaches using stricter implementation of the guidelines.
The provincial government of Pangasinan promises to provide tight security inside and outside the Palaro venues. A security officer will be assigned in every billeting quarter to monitor and ensure the safety of Palaro delegates.
Pangasinan Governor Amado Espino has also assigned a medical team from local hospitals to look after the athletes during the sports competitions.
As part of the preparations for the major sporting event, the provincial government of Pangasinan has partnered with DepEd in launching the new website for the 2012 Palaro. The new website boasts of its high functionality and uniqueness and promises to deliver the ‘most digital’ coverage in the history of Palaro.
It features individual sports channels for 17 sports categories for live streaming with real time scoring and replays of the games. The Palaro 2012 TV will also be launched to showcase extraordinary stories of athletes and their journey at the Palaro, messages from guests, and other interesting stories.
The Palaro will use the breakthrough Social Media Command Center for faster response to queries and suggestions. The command center will serve as the central network of connection among participants and officials.
DepEd has also partnered with social news network Rappler as its official social media partner. Updates may be viewed via http://www.rappler.com/sports/palarong-pambansa-2012
Organizers are aiming for Palarong Pambansa to trend worldwide on twitter for the duration of the games by using#palaro2012 for all Palaro related updates.
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