No one can beat a product of collaboration, says DepEd-10 chief

MindanaoToday.com | No one can beat a product of collaboration, says DepEd-10 chief

By: Irene Joy B. Dayo

“No one can beat a product of collaboration,” said Department of Education (DepEd)-10 Director Arturo B. Bayocot at the Kapihan sa Bagong Pilipinas in Cagayan de Oro City on October 15. He emphasized that raising, nurturing, and educating a child requires whole-of-community support.

“I firmly believe it takes an entire village to educate a child. The Philippine Information Agency, the media, and other partners of the Department of Education are part of that village. Education is everyone’s responsibility,” he said.

The director highlighted their efforts during the global outbreak of COVID-19, noting that despite the lockdown across the region, education continued. DepEd-10 ensured education continuity through strong partnerships with government agencies, private entities, schools, teachers, parents, and learners. During this time, DepEd launched Rx ADOBE, a computer-based Regional Achievement Test, and has sustained it for the past three school years.

Bayocot mentioned that they closely collaborated with parents since children were required to stay home during the pandemic.

“Parents are the first teachers of their children. You may not be a teacher by profession, but you are your child’s teacher. Those times revealed the essential role of teachers in providing in-person support for effective learning,” he said.

The pandemic posed challenges for everyone. DepEd urged parents to support their children’s learning at home, but some struggled because they prioritized providing for the family. Others may have wanted to help but lacked the necessary skills, the director shared.

That is why DepEd is currently focusing on promoting reading among students. He emphasized that reading is crucial, regardless of the subject.

In terms of health programs in education, DepEd-10 implements the Oplan Kalusugan-Healthy Learning Institution (OKD-HLI) in four pilot sites to support the Last Mile Schools (LMS) in Bukidnon, Lanao del Norte, Misamis Occidental, and Misamis Oriental.

The Department of Health (DOH) and the local government units (LGUs) partnered in this capacity-building series, with DOH allocating P20 million to four Schools Division Offices (SDOs) and LGUs.

DepEd-10 also enrolled Regional Office (RO) and SDO teaching and non-teaching personnel in the PhilHealth Konsulta to avail of free checkups with laboratory and medicines.

The department has trained 100 principals and school heads from 14 SDOs on integrating the Comprehensive Sexuality Education – Adolescent Reproductive Health (CSE-ARH) curriculum, supported by the Commission on Population and Development (CPD). It also launched the P8.4 million School Mental Health Program, coordinating activities with registered guidance counselors and mental health focal persons.

During the Kapihan sa Bagong Pilipinas, Bayocot featured innovations and milestones, including sustaining the Rx ADOBE: Computer-based Regional Achievement Test and the Regional Unified Quarterly Assessment (RUQA) for the 2024-2025 school year.

It also introduced curriculum innovations like Project CELLS (Course for Executive Learning and Leadership in Schools) and PANAGTIGOM, the Regional Assembly of Education Leaders.

The director said DepEd firmly upheld its mission to ensure every Filipino’s right to quality, equitable, culture-based education, providing a child-friendly, gender-sensitive, and motivating learning environment.

“It takes a village to nurture, educate, and raise a child, and that village includes all of us. DepEd may lead the way in providing education, but we cannot achieve the best outcomes without support from the ecosystem where we live,” Bayocot said. (IJBD/PIA-10/Misamis Oriental)

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