Committed to widening access to education despite the pandemic, the Department of Education secured an ally in the National Telecommunication Commission to support television and radio-based learning delivery for the upcoming school year.
DepEd, through the NTC headed by Commissioner Gamaliel Cordoba, has requested television, radio and cable operators to broadcast educational materials and instructions as part of the Department’s Basic Education Learning Continuity Plan (BE-LCP).
The DepEd is set to implement a blended learning approach as face-to-face classes are still prohibited, with TV and radio-based instruction being one of the three main set-ups with modular and online learning as the other two options.
NTC, as the government agency mandated to oversee broadcasting operations in the country, has issued a memorandum to remind TV and radio operators of its public service obligation, including providing free of charge assistance in the functions of public information and education.
The Commission also released a separate memorandum for cable operators, reminding them of the provisions of Section 6.3.2, Item C of NTC Memorandum Circular No. 4-08-88, which requires them to carry free public service features, including education, cultural and civic.
“The Department is determined to strengthen education delivery through television, whether it is through commercial broadcast TV networks, free channels, government-owned TV stations, and even cable TV networks,” Undersecretary for Administration Alain del Pascua said.
The initiative is also backed by the Department of Information and Communications Technology Secretary Gregorio Honasan II, who instructed NTC to mandate broadcast stations, channels and cable TV providers to allocate broadcast hours and the use of equipment and resources to DepEd, free of charge.
