True to its promise to provide accessible and quality education to the indigenous youth, the Department of Education (DepEd) has started the establishment of learning facilities, also known as "Last Mile Schools", in remote places across the country.
In an interview with the Philippine News Agency, DepEd Undersecretary Nepomuceno Malaluan said the department is aware that left-leaning schools are using the indigenous peoples' need for basic education as a means to recruit and instill in them communist ideology.
"Kaya kami ang nagtatayo ng mga (That's why, we established) DepEd schools close to them, not vice versa. For example, near their learning center in Napnapan in Batukan in Compostela Valley, there is a nearby DepEd school that is 2.5 kilometers in distance and some of our schools are in just one-kilometer range. There are five kilometers away which are not your usual place because there are no roads," Malaluan said.
He stressed they are serious in improving the education services in these far-flung areas and so they are looking into different ways to provide basic, quality and liberating education.
Increased enrolment
According to the DepEd Schools Division of Davao Oriental, there has been "a stark difference in the number of enrollees between the government schools and these private learning institutions".
"Around 526 indigenous youths are now attending government-run schools while only 216 enrollees remain in these private institutions located mostly on areas where construction of government schools have yet to be completed," Josephine Lastrado, DepEd Schools Division of Davao Oriental representative, said at the Provincial Peace and Order Council meeting on June 17.
Meanwhile, the Philippine Army reported "zero enrolment in Mindanao Interfaith Services Foundation, Inc. schools in Sitio Limot and Sitio Casunogan in the municipality of Baganga".
"The significant decrease in the number of enrollees in these Communist NPA Terrorists (CNT)-affiliated schools has been attributed to the concerted efforts by all key stakeholders, the deployment of Community Support Program, and the local government and the DepEd’s effort in addressing the issue on the lack of educational system in these marginalized communities," 701st Brigade commander, Brig. Gen. Manuel Sequitin said.
Sequitin added that five out of the nine sitios with CNT-affiliated schools in the province already have DepEd schools.
These include Sitio Limot and Sitio Caatihan in Barangay Binondo; Sitio Casunugan in Barangay Mahanub in the municipality of Baganga; Sitio Paglusngan in Barangay Taytayan; and Sitio Patong in Barangay Malibago in Cateel.
"Salugpungan schools in Sitio Km 35 in Barangay Taytayan and Sitio Patong in Barangay Malibago in Cateel are now non-operational since more parents are opting to transfer their children to schools run by the DepEd," he said.
Peace and order, quality basic education: A communal responsibility
Aware of their power to destroy national peace and order, Davao Oriental Governor Nelson Dayanghirang stressed schools which indoctrinate students with communist ideologies and anti-government ideas must be eradicated.
"This is a silent plague encroaching in the government’s educational system, we, and they key agencies, must step up with our efforts to address this," Dayanghirang said.
Paglusngan Integrated School in Barangay Taytayan, Cateel. (Photo courtesy of the Department of Education)
He allocated PHP1.7 million funding for the construction of temporary learning spaces in the municipalities of Baganga and Cateel where left-leaning schools were located.
He also provided counterpart funds for the salaries of para-teachers who supervise students outside of their classrooms, or provide administrative support for teaching.
Davao Oriental DepEd Schools Division Superintendent Lorenzo Mendoza said the department "is implementing the construction of eight schools in the area and fast tracks the conversion of two elementary schools into integrated schools".
"The main purpose of this is to provide education for all and closing the gaps in education in communities through establishing new schools. In terms of regulating these private learning institutions, the DepEd has enforced strict regulations in granting them Permit to Operate and Certificate of Recognition," Mendoza said.
Mobile alternative learning system
Recognizing the difficulty to establish schools in some geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas, the DepEd has also started with technology-aided alternative learning system (ALS).
"Imagine a mobile teacher of ALS going to a far-flung community. He carries a bag, a laptop and distributes five to 10 tablets to students and they talk to one another while using the laptop and the router. All the contents and lessons in the laptop are reflected in the tablets and this is being done by DepEd now," DepEd Undersecretary for Administrative Service Alain del Pascua at the first cyber expo on education and technology in March.
Pascua added that DepEd has delivered laptops and tablets to Kalayaan Island to aid the ALS teachers.
https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1073107
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