BAGUIO CITY – The Department of Education – Cordillera Administrative Region (DepEd-CAR) recognized the active participation of various education stakeholders during a brief discussion on the region’s functional literacy rates on June 18.
Estela Leon-Cariño, DepEd-CAR Regional Director, commended the joint efforts of parents, teachers and Local Government Units (LGUs) in line with the city’s recognition for having the second highest basic literacy rate among highly urbanized areas in the recent survey done by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).
Baguio Schools Division Superintendent Soraya Faculo recalled past observations on teachers during school visits. She highlighted their commitment to adjusting to the learning needs of students through innovation of learning materials.
“We see a lot of teachers doing innovations in terms of learning resources. We know very well that the students – iba-ibang estudyante ‘yan – need learning resources. So we see our teachers localizing or even developing learning materials for these specific kinds of learners. Yun yung nakita namin na commitment nila which is actually telling us na we have very good teachers.”
The strong support of the local government was also cited in developing programs that are closely linked to motivating learners in terms of education. Among the programs Faculo mentioned was the Gawad Lingap Program that helps reduce absenteeism and lower dropout rates of indigent learners in the city.
The institutionalization of the Parent Academy Program was also mentioned as one of the city’s programs that contributed to the high literacy rate. This initiative promotes parent involvement in the ongoing education of their children. “We do believe [nga mabalin ket] dagitoy parentis ket masapul nga ma-involve da as the first teachers of our young people so that, in a way, ada iti continuity iti learning ti a-annak tayo from school going home,” Councilor Vladimir Cayabas stated.
Pablo Gomuad, Federated Parent-Teacher Association President, expressed the willingness of parents to work together with DepEd in order for their children to excel in learning. “The parents are cooperative,” Gomuad said. “We see to it that we collaborate. We stand to the point that the parents are the partners of [the] Department of Education, to achieve the goals of our learners.”
More educational programs are underway for the City of Baguio. Councilor Cayabas announced that the proposed institutionalization of the Barangay Pagbasa Program has been recently approved to promote the reading skills of young learners. In addition to that, a proposal for the city to have a Literacy Council is underway.
With these initiatives and stakeholder support, Baguio City continues to strengthen its educational framework to help every learner thrive. By Aiyra Marzan
