Mayor raises impact of new learning process with DepEd secretary

By Dolly Yasa

BACOLOD City – Mayor Evelio Leonardia raised with Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Leonor Briones on Friday the issue on the social impact of the learning process on schoolchildren when the new mode of learning is implemented in August 2020.

DepEd is implementing a blended remote/distance learning approach that uses Radio and TV Broadcast Instruction (RBI/TBI), learning modules, Facebook Live, and other online/offline modalities to ensure education delivery with “No Face-to-Face” contact to school children.

Leonardia said children have different learning abilities and the expected disparity of resources, like gadgets and Internet connection, could affect this learning process.

“If some are running 50, 60, 80, or 90 kilometers per hour, maybe other school children only run 10 to 20 kilometers per hour,” Leonardia said.

“What is going to be the social impact of the learning process among children if some will have better facilities to learn while the others will be so far behind?” Leonardia asked Briones, who was the guest resource person during the second online meeting of the Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines (ULAP).

Briones said the DepEd will emphasize one of the five principles of Basic Education on Learning Continuity Plan, which is to be sensitive to equity considerations.

“Uunahin natin ‘yong wala (Let’s prioritize the indigents),” she said.

ULAP is the umbrella organization of all 10 major leagues of LGUs, such as the League of Cities of the Philippines (LCP), League of Provinces of the Philippines (LPP), League of the Municipalities of the Philippines (LMP), and Liga ng mga Barangay.

Leonardia is the national president of LCP and the interim executive vice president of ULAP.

Joining Leonardia in the online meeting from the Bacolod City Government Center was Gladys Amylaine Sales, OIC-schools division superintendent of DepEd Bacolod.

Sales had earlier said, “The blended remote/distance learning option is a ‘win-win solution’ to ensure the safety of everyone while learning at home.”

Joining the online meeting across the country were more than 80 officials of ULAP National Executive Board and DepEd, including ULAP national president Quirino Governor Dakila Carlo Cua, ULAP chairperson Marinduque Governor Presbitero Velasco Jr., and ULAP board member Cavite Vice Governor Ramon “Jolo” Revilla III, and LCP officers Bacoor City Mayor Lani Mercado-Revilla and Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong.