DepEd-7 gets P17 billion donation

CEBU, Philippines — Various stakeholders have contributed a total of P17 billion to the Department of Education-7 in 2023, says Regional Director Salustiano Jimenez during his State of the Region Address (SORA) yesterday.

Jimenez told the school officials and representative of various agencies of the government present during the event that the donors contributed through various ways across all schools in the region.

The amount, he said, was used to provide teaching and learning aids and devices; musical instruments; learning modules; science laboratory equipment; health/hygiene kits; medical services and supplies; wellness, health, and nutrition packages; and free eye check-ups and eyeglasses to learners with visual impairments.

The amount also funded new construction, repair, restoration, and improvement of learning spaces; geo-hazard assessments in schools; climate change education; and disaster prevention and emergency kits to ensure that learners are in a safe learning environment.

Jimenez also said that with the amount, DepEd-7 completely repaired classrooms in 29, energized three schools, built new classrooms in eight schools. And using the Quick Response Fund 2022, DepEd-7 also repaired or constructed 84 schools.

He also identified the ongoing construction of new classrooms in 10 “Last Mile” schools; allocation for Temporary Learning Space for 74 schools, 20 of which are ongoing and 54 on procurement.

“Education has been a classic and the most strategic approach against poverty. It equips us with relevance in the organizational demands of industries and companies or anything that provides employment to an individual,” Jimenez said.

“It benchmarks our identity as part of the community never suppressed with contentment because innovation makes further discovery and influence with the way things are, in the modern times, performed, executed and managed,” he added.

He said that Region VII’s education development plan priority directions for the next five years focuses on “quality and well-planned learning recovery interventions, significantly appropriate and relevant to address the ill effects of the pandemic, most especially, the learning gaps of our learners.”

Hence, Jimenez said, DepEd-7 is “thrilled to bestow to the learning communities the opportunity to SMILE (Strengthening Management, Instruction and Leadership for Excellence).”

“The SMILE strategy fuels its roadmap to achieve its goals and objectives and complement with the Basic Education Development Plan 2030, and the MATATAG Agenda of the current administration,” he said.

This, he further said, “aims to thrust education reforms where all of DepEd-7 learning communities be encouraged to effect changes in the grassroots.”

“The objective of SMILE is to make the learners happy, smart, resilient, and well-rounded. With this strategy, outcomes like conducive and supportive learning environment, effective and efficient implementation of the curriculum and resources and continuous improvement and heightening of stakeholders' support can be identified and be produced,” he said.

Jimenez cited some of their accomplishments based on the outcome indicators that are aligned with DepEd’s MATATAG Agenda.

He said Region 7 is a big contributor to the success of the said agenda, with Vice President and DepEd Secretary Sara Duterte taking the lead.

In particular, Jimenez said that 2,088,860 learners enrolled last year in both public and private schools; with 1,996,723 of them from 3,876 public schools being provided with learning resources. Central Visayas also saw in 2023 exactly 145,069 Senior High School completers.

He also said that 162,122 learners have benefitted from the School Feeding program; 12,012 learners were enrolled in “Special Education” in 90 schools; 2,642 learners were enrolled in the “ALIVE” program offered in 40 schools; 255 learners under IPED in 125 schools; and 50,504 learners enrolled under the “Alternative Learning System”.

Jimenez also reported that Central Visayas had a 98.91 percent retention rate in the Elementary level and 91.12 percent in the secondary level (Grades 7 to 12); 101,476 trees planted in its schools; and that its learners reaped 72 Golds, 47 Silvers, 91 Bronzes during the Palarong Pambansa in Marikina City, including two record breakers and one record holder, who all received a total of P308,500 as incentive.

Jimenez likewise reported that DepEd-7 has reached a total of 98.97 percent of elementary schools meeting the standard ratio for teachers, 90.97 percent for the senior high schools, and 87.88 percent for junior high schools.

As to teacher development, he reported that 3,307 were reclassified from their current level to the next or even higher levels; 780 new teaching items were also created, with 611 of them already filled up; 1,069 new non-teaching items were created, with 951 already filled up; and 70,386 teachers and 2,796 teaching-related staff underwent trainings through schools learning action cell sessions. — /RHM (FREEMAN)