Local governments are playing important roles in helping schools restart classes in October despite the challenges and constraints imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. These include various activities to help teachers and students learn how to use the various modalities of blended learning that need to be adopted so that schools can reopen safely.
The different programs and strategies of LGUs to support blended learning were discussed during a special webinar session organized by PLDT, Inc. in partnership with University of the Philippines Open University (UPOU).
The panelists included Mayor Oscar Moreno from Cagayan de Oro City, Mayor Antolin Oreta III from Malabon City and Mayor Richard Gomez from Ormoc City. Cherry Ramos, the Schools Division Superintendent from Santiago City in Isabela, also shared some of their best practices in preparing for the blended learning this coming school year.
The session was moderated by UPOU Chancellor Dr. Melinda Bandalaria and assisted by PLDT Community Relations Head Katherine Diaz De Rivera.
“Through this webinar session, we highlight some of the best practices of LGUs in supporting schools amid the pandemic. We hope this will enable more local governments to help the schools in their areas reopen safely," said Diaz De Rivera.
“The different programs of our LGUs have something in common: It’s not just the teachers who are benefitting from the different programs of the LGU but also their respective constituents,” said UPOU Chancellor Dr. Melinda Bandalaria.
Finding light in the midst of darkness
Cagayan de Oro prides itself in using digital tools to help teachers and learners. One of its main initiatives is the Tech o’clock, which is a byte-sized online learning series for teachers which address their professional development needs. The topics covered range from psycho-social support to learning delivery modalities. This initiative garnered more than 1 million teachers viewed/trained nationwide.
In his talk at the webinar, Mayor Moreno also shared the city’s efforts in fighting the pandemic. With no testing capacity at the start of the COVID-19 crisis, Moreno described the city as being “in the midst of total darkness”. Since then, the city has taken great strides by establishing the Northern Mindanao Medical Center as the main COVID-19 referral hospital in Region 10.
According to Moreno, the city also holds daily press briefings to update, inform and educate its constituents on the COVID-19 crisis. To date, the city has held 127 press briefings.
Innovative digital efforts
Ormoc City Mayor Gomez shared some innovative digital efforts of the LGU Ormoc to support the DepEd’s learning continuity plan. Through its Project TINAPA which stands for Tender Initiative to Nurture learners Amidst Pandemic, the city government has focused on providing assistance to the students and teachers of Ormoc as they navigate through the new blended learning.
One of the city’s digital initiatives includes the e-Silid-Aralan which is a free web-based system for teachers and learners where they can access learning resources. In partnership with the DepEd Ormoc, the LGU also held virtual workshops and trainings on video or web conferencing. These include real-time messaging and content sharing which were conducted to LGU Ormoc employees for ICT upskilling.
Sports Education is also one of the strong initiatives of the City of Ormoc. Scholarships, high quality sports equipment and expert international trainings are provided to the student-athletes of Ormoc, including individuals who play in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP).
In terms of its COVID efforts, Gomez shared that contact tracing in Ormoc is done through QR Code Scanning which is done promptly and in real-time.
Education as a great equalizer
Technology plays a big role in the education efforts of the City of Malabon. According to Malabon City Mayor Oreta, blended learning is implemented in the City of Malabon University where different learning management systems are acquired and customized. “Education with technology will be the greatest equalizer to our unbalanced society,” Oreta said.
With education as one of its main initiatives, Oreta also shared that the city has reached out to various Daycare Centers by providing 8,000 Kiddie Kits composed of basic worksheets.
In addition, Oreta also discussed their efforts against the COVID-19 pandemic. He emphasized the need to educate the people through various COVID Awareness Campaigns. Contact Tracing also plays a big role in their COVID initiatives by conducting swabbing tests and having isolation centers “I am very thankful because PLDT and Smart have been helping us. We have internet capability in all our isolation centers, even in our swabbing center,” Oreta said.
