CitySavings, Thames International partner with QC LGU for pilot learning loss recovery program in PH
MANILA, Philippines — Vice President and Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Sara Duterte in her Basic Education Report on Jan. 31, 2023 stressed the implementation of the National Learning Recovery Plan to support the efforts of DepEd field offices in addressing learning loss.
Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte shared that she supports the plan during her visit to the pilot implementation of the QC Learning Loss Recovery Program by Thames International School sponsored by City Savings Bank Inc.
“Our learning loss problem is very serious. We are in an education emergency. Based on our research, in Quezon City alone, the more than two years of pandemic lockdowns resulted in over five years' worth of learning loss. This is why I wanted to declare an education emergency in Quezon City,” Belmonte said.
CitySavings, the thrift bank arm of Aboitiz-led UnionBank of the Philippines, has geared up and partnered with Thames International School, which has been actively taking steps to support the government’s goal by proposing a comprehensive, holistic, and sustainable solution from assessment to intervention.
Being the first of its kind to be implemented in the Philippines, this program aims to address the learning loss crisis experienced by students. The pilot run was done in Bagumbayan Elementary School, Quezon City.
Following the Asian Development Bank Framework for addressing learning loss, the students underwent an assessment to have baseline data on the extent of intervention needed.
A total of 96 Grade 5 students and 77 Grade 6 students went through the Philippine Assessment for Learning Loss (PALLS) conducted by the University of San Carlos and Thames International.
From PALLS, the students are now experiencing a high-dosage, high-impact remedial program hosted on the campus of Thames International School from January to February of this year.
“As part of the Bank’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programs, we at CitySavings are proud to be the first to sponsor and partner with Thames International School to implement the Learning Loss Remedial Program in the Philippines. There is a clear need to address this issue. We are ready to help out in any way we can,” said CitySavings Salary Loans Business Head Julian Aboitiz.
“We continue to align and expand our educational support programs to complement DepEd’s effort in bridging the gap and scaling up literacy, reading, and numeracy programs. As an active stakeholder, we are one with DepEd and the local governments in their push for educational reforms to improve the delivery of quality, inclusive, and accessible education for all Filipino students,” CitySavings Vice Chairman and CEO Lorenzo Ocampo also said.
Belmonte assured that the local government will be "very proactive" in encouraging partners to continue the program.
“We are now starting the call to action to address this issue. And we are glad that we have our first responders in City Savings Bank. We thank you for being the first sponsor of this very worthy endeavor,” Belmonte said.
“We are planning to be very proactive in enticing partners to continue the Learning Loss Remedial Program. CitySavings will serve as an example for other private companies, making it easier for them to be on-board as we see that partnerships will be the solution to further strengthen this program,” she added.
CitySavings, meanwhile, will continue to provide relevant, accessible and sustainable CSR programs to enable educators to teach and touch the lives of learners nationwide.
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