80 Iloilo schools get career guidance modules from province

By Mariela Angella Oladive

Eighty public secondary schools in Iloilo province received Career Guidance Instructional Module sets from the provincial government on Feb. 13 to strengthen programs that help students make informed education and career choices.

Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr. led the turnover ceremony at the Pavia National High School Twin Covered Gym, which coincided with the culmination of the school’s career guidance advocacy activity titled “Pagbinag-binag: Thinking Through Career Options.”

The Career Guidance Instructional Module is a flagship education support initiative under the province’s Bulig Eskwela sang Probinsya program.

The module was developed in partnership with guidance counselors and education specialists from the Department of Education-Iloilo and the University of the Philippines, and localizes the implementation of Republic Act 11206, or the Career Guidance and Counseling Act, which Defensor authored during his term as a congressman.

The law institutionalizes career guidance and counseling programs in secondary schools nationwide.

In his message, Defensor underscored the importance of aligning education outcomes with labor market demands.

“If what schools produce does not match the needs of the economy and the government, our graduates will have no jobs,” he said.

He said the program aims to bridge gaps between education and employment by helping students make informed decisions based on their strengths and the workforce needs of the province and the country.

Each module set includes structured lesson guides, learner activities, assessment tools and facilitation notes designed to help teachers and guidance advocates deliver systematic and sustained career guidance sessions for Grades 7–12.

The modules cover career self-assessment, labor market information, education pathways and decision-making skills.

The distribution to 80 identified “mother schools” is expected to benefit thousands of learners, with participating schools set to replicate the sessions within their respective districts.