The Department of Education (DepEd), led by Education Secretary Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara together with the agency’s Executive and Management Committee Members, on Monday went to Leyte to check the implementation of digitalization programs and assess gaps in school building facilities.
According to Angara, the Department is aware of regional concerns that the presence of DepEd’s central office must be felt.
“Mainly the message we like to deliver to you all this morning is the central office is here. We are here to supoort you. We’ve heard the feedack before that the central office is sometimes detached, with the region, with the division,” Angara said in a mix of English and Filipino.
As part of the agency’s ongoing efforts to address challenges from the ground, the Education Secretary convened with the teachers at Leyte National High School in Tacloban City. The said school is considered the biggest secondary school in Eastern Visayas and caters to 8,954 learners to date.
The Education Department also visited the St. Francis Elementary School, which was gravely affected by Super Typhoon Yolanda in 2013.
The said school is currently experiencing gaps in school facilities and classrooms as they are currently housing 547 learners in Temporary Learning Spaces.
In coordination with the Provincial Government of Leyte under the leadership of Governor Jericho “Icot” L. Petilla, the officials tracked the implementation of the digitalization program of the Leyte Provincial Government in Cogon Elementary School.
Angara also visited the Alang-alang National High School to witness the Khan Academy demonstration as part of the agency’s project for the upcoming Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA).
Moreover, the Department also observed the first and only education hub for the Alternative Learning System in the Girls’ Education Center in Palo, Leyte.
The said initiative is part of the “Better Life for Out-of-School Girls to Fight Poverty and Injustice in the Philippines” project by DepEd, the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), and the Korea International Cooperation Agency.
Angara and the rest of the ExeCom members will then convene with the Regional Directors to discuss various DepEd programs on Tuesday in Tacloban City.
