SAGADA, Mountain Province – Mountain Province (MP) top officials led the launching of the Oplan GANDUYAN Partnership Program of the Department of Education-Mountain Province in Payag-eo Elementary School on November 24, 2022.
The acronym GANDUYAN stands for Genuine Association and Networking on Diverse Projects, Programs, Activities and United For Youth Growth And Development to become assets to nation building. It also is the old name of Sagada.
According to Senior Education Program Specialist and Social Mobilization and Networking Focal Person Sonia C. Batnag, the conduct of the Oplan GANDUYAN Partnership Program was initiated by the Department of Education (DepEd)–MP Schools Division Office in partnership with the provincial government and the Sagada municipal and other line agencies to provide holistic opportunities for all i-Sagada learners to be performing and excellent by unfolding every learner’s potentials, bridging the gap leading to the realization of every learner’s dream, raising hope and restoring self-worth.
With the launching of the Oplan GANDUYAN Partnership Program and the turnover of assistance under the DepEd’s Digital Brigada Pagbasa and Enhanced Adopt-A-School Program, tablets and reading materials were turned over to the Payag-ew Elementary School in support to the Digital Brigada Pagbasa, while vitamins, radio and food (snacks) were turned over under the Enhanced Adopt-A-School Program.
With their unwavering support to the education and development of every child, DepEd partners from the different sectors of the province expressed how supportive they are to the Oplan GANDUYAN Partnership Program.
In his message, Executive Assistant Ernesto B. Bondad, representing Governor Bonifacio C. Lacwasan, Jr., pointed out the importance of education. According to him, education is a tool to achieve development in the province and a way to make a person a better citizen.
“I’m so advocated with education because it’s one of the tools or one of the methods to uplift and expedite improvement in Mountain Province,” he said.
“It is also an avenue to change a person to become a better citizen,” he added.
Bondad also emphasized that it is important that the students are regularly guided and monitored when using the turned over tablets.
“Millennial students now are so skilled and so engrossed with gadgets that they need to be guided. Because if they use the gadgets (referring to the tablets) in a negative way, anong consequence noon? The consequence would be failure,” he said further.
Moreover, Congressman Maximo Y. Dalog, Jr. thru his representative, Dionisio Wacdisen, said that he believes that the success of the Oplan GANDUYAN Partnership Program has the potential to give a solution to the issue on the disparity of learning services delivered.
“I wish to inform everyone that Congressman Maximo Y. Dalog, Jr. is very supportive in this endeavor. He knows that if this will be implemented well, it will finally address the disparity in the delivery of learning services in our DepEd Division of Mountain Province not only in Sagada but sana all,” Wacdisen said.
“The congressman wishes to continue collaborating with the administration of DepEd and the leadership of the officials in the realization of the goal to adopt a comprehensive approach for a better learning for our learners,” Wacdisen added.
Furthermore, Mayor Felicito O. Dula of Sagada was one with the representative of the governor and congressman in committing his support. He mentioned that the welfare of the children must always be a top priority of the government and the other sectors of the community.
Meanwhile, other partners from the different Barangay Local Government Units of Sagada, Federated Parent-Teacher Association, Sagada Multi-Purpose Cooperative also delivered their message of support to the partnership program.
In response, DepEd-Mountain Province Schools Division Superintendent Sally B. Ullalim said that the support committed by the different DepEd partners brings her great joy. She pointed out that the welfare of a child is not a sole responsibility of the DepEd but it is a shared responsibility of the different government units, National Line Agencies and the family members of the child.
“I am so humbled, actually, teary eyed ak ad kauniyan listening to all your commitments, listening to all your support to our children.
Siguro kasjay ti mother, nga once you are assured of the support nga mailam nga maka adal nan anak mu ay nay inganan tun maka trabaho. That assurance is already a joy for a parent,” she said
Other highlights of the program include the signing of the Pledge of Commitment and the Memorandum of Agreement between all the partner agencies and the demonstration on the basic operations of the turned over tablets especially in accessing online/offline reading materials, applications and games as part of the Digital Brigada Pagbasa.
According to Education Program Specialist II Ching Kilakil, a total of 1,572 elementary students and 223 secondary students were able to improve their reading skills with the help of the Digital Brigada Pagbasa.
In relation to the Oplan GANDUYAN Partnership Program, a similar program was conducted in the municipality of Natonin last year. However, in Natonin, the name of the program is Oplan Sally Partnership Program. According to the Public Schools District Supervisor of Natonin, June A. Kiblasan II, the program was named after SDS Sally B. Ullalim who has always been there to provide help or assistance when needed.
“Sally stands for strategies that are adoptive in our locality for the learning and literacy of the people,” he added.
Moreover, the Oplan Sally Partnership Program has helped greatly in the implementation of the limited face-to-face class in the different schools in Natonin, materialization of the Bread and Pastry Laboratory for the senior high school and provision of tablets to students.
Note: The rollout of the Oplan GANDUYAN to the other barangays of Sagada will resume this week. By Daryle C. Fayofay
