DAVAO CITY – The provincial government of Davao de Oro and the Department of Education launched recently its version of a television-based instruction dubbed TV Eskwela, to run alongside a radio-based curriculum instruction that was also finalized.
The province is all set to air the programmed curriculum instruction by August 24, the scheduled opening of the school year.
The program will be aired through Serbisyo Oro Mismo, the province’s social media platform, and Nabunturan Cable Television Network (NCTN) every Monday to Friday, from 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm, the provincial information office said.
The information office quoted Dr. Eufemia Gamutin, schools division superintendent of DepEd Davao de Oro, as saying that all subjects from Kindergarten to Grade 12 would be aired in the program.
“The goal and purpose of this is to provide more opportunities for our children in the Department of Education to be reached and strengthened through education this year,” she said
She said the division “hurdled the challenges” of continuing the basic education despite the Covid-19 pandemic because of the assistance of the provincial government.
Gamutin, Governor Jayvee Tyron Uy, and NCTN chief, Jeanette Dy, entered into a Memorandum of Agreement for the airing of TV Eskwela during the launching of the program. Vice Governor Maricar Zamora, and Fe Maestre, provincial information officer and incharge of Serbisyo Oro Mismo, witnessed the signing.
Aside from the airing time, the MOA also specified that the provincial government would assist Deped in terms of facilities, equipment, and technical skills in running the TV program.
Besides the TV-based instructions, DepEd Davao de Oro has also partnered with Z Radio 88.5FM for the Radyo Zkwela for airing a radio-based instructions.
Gamutin reported that the enrollment in the public schools of Davao de Oro reached 97 percent as of July 29, from last year’s enrollment of 189,000. Late enrollees would still be accepted.
“One of these heavy issues we are facing is the problem in the delivery of quality education to our students since we still cannot hold face to face meeting. We know that this is hard because this is the first time we are doing this but nothing is impossible if there is participation of all the stakeholders, unity, and cooperation,” Uy said.
Uy said that “even though there is no physical attendance at the schools, the provincial government would devise a plan to continue the school-based feeding program under the Kalinga ng Kalusugan (KNK) program”.
The KNK program would cater to 8,000 students in the province, prioritizing those in the hinterlands.
The province has been acknowledged for its trailblazing work in digital information. Last year, it garnered two National Awards in “Digital Governance Awards 2019,” for “Best In Government Interoperability Award (G2G) Provincial Level” and second place in the “Best in Business Empowerment Award (G2B) Provincial Level.”
The plaque was signed by Department of Information and Communication Technology Sec. Gregorio B. Honasan II, Department of the Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo M. Ano and National ICT Confederation of the Philippines (NICP) President Jonathan D. De Luzuriaga.
The “Document Management System” developed by George Dan Hill (Computer Programmer) got the winning entry for the province for the “Government to Government (G2G) Award” and the “Blood Distribution Management System” developed by Kent Vincent Gonzales (Computer Programmer) won the “Government to Business (G2B) Award”.
The information office said the Digital Governance Awards acknowledge best practices among local government units through the use of ICT in promoting effective and efficient public service.