Philippine Basic Education

Wikipedia defines the fourth estate as "a segment of society that wields an indirect but significant influence on society even though it is not a formally recognized part of the political system. The most commonly recognized part of the fourth estate is the news media, or press". The fourth estate is often deemed important in a democracy because of the requirement of an informed citizenry. The news media or press therefore serves a source of information. For example, when a new tax bill is passed, it is crucial that the public is made knowledgeable of the new law and its consequences. Correct and complete information is always necessary to arrive at the right conclusions. Reporting that prices of commodities are rising and attributing the rise solely to a new tax without considering that the prices of these commodities are also increasing in the global market is an example of incomplete information. There is indeed a huge difference between informing and misleading. Of course...

Right before classes started in the Philippines, Kristine Felisse Mangunay and Tarra Quismundo of the Daily Inquirer reported the following , " Unable to resist a last jab at the group of ralliers, the president said: “We heard they’re only about 20, but that they’re carrying five banners each. You just might hear them complain about unfair labour practice because of that,” he added, drawing laughter from the audience. " This was apparently the president's response to a group of protesters from the Alliance of Concerned Teachers rallying against DepEd's K to 12 just right outside the Convention Center during his speech. The following photo does not show five banners for each person, but chances are high that such demonstration would draw a similar response from Aquino. Above copied from a Facebook post of John Silva The above photograph was posted with the following notes from John Silva, a trustee with Synergeia Foundation , a coalition of individuals, instit...

I was greeted this morning with the following photos. Paete Municipal Tourism  was sharing a building decorated for the celebration of the Philippines' Independence Day. In another set of pictures, the Alliance of Concerned Teachers is calling teachers, parents and students to participate in a "Family Day Against K to 12". Independence Day is celebrated by every independent nation, after all, it is a day when a nation expresses its self-worth and responsibility. The Philippines celebrates independence on June 12, a day in 1898 when revolutionary forces in Cavite formally announced a Declaration of Independence. It is only expected that citizens in an independent country share the same aspirations and sense of freedom during such a joyous commemoration. Sadly, there are reasons not to be filled with joy. When some of the citizens are not truly free, and in fact treated as non-citizens in their own ancestral lands, Independence Day loses its meaning. On this ...

They built on their own eleven schools. Lumads (indigenous peoples in Mindanao) of Talaingod ,  Davao del Norte have been receiving elementary education since 2007 from schools operated by the Salugpungan Ta Tanu Igkanugon Community Learning Center (STTICLC), in line with DepEd's National Indigenous Peoples Education Program. With DepEd unable to answer to the needs of the children in these indigenous communities, tribal leaders took the initiative to make education a reality. Sadly, these schools are now at the crosshair of various interests, none of which concerns the future of Lumad children. Above copied from SunStar One may actually find the statement from DepEd, "were not closed, just not opened", hilarious if only the situation is not serious. Nevertheless, such action speaks volume. When proponents of DepEd's K to 12 speak of an education that puts learners first, when those who promote the new curriculum speak of promises to the youth, it becomes cl...

November is the National Reading Month in the Philippines. This is the month that the government tries to put an image of supporting the education of young minds by promoting a love for reading. That does sound good. Children need to learn to read so that they will read to learn in the future. Unfortunately, simply encouraging the public to donate books to schools and storytelling inside classrooms are just the first steps. Providing textbooks of good quality is an equally if not more important task so that children may actually move beyond reading fairy tales. It is truly infuriating to see that what the Philippine government does for education is often only for show. Take, for instance, DepEd touting the use of the mother tongue as medium of instruction in the early years of education. On the surface, it may seem that DepEd is indeed taking a step in the right direction by keeping something inside classrooms that the children have learned at home. With a language of instruction ...

By Joy Rizal When DepEd decided how to implement its K-12 program, it must have seemed like a good idea to phase it in one year at a time, following one class of students each year. Hypothetically, allowing the students to receive new books and material each year. Unfortunately the condemned children of the k-12 implementation class have yet to see a textbook or any learning modules until so late in the school year that the materials are useless (assuming they receive anything at all). Each year DepEd seems to do nothing more than slightly modifying their “standard cut and paste promises” that all students will be receiving personal textbooks, learning modules, have smaller class sizes, etc. Then has the audacity to give basically the same excuses year after year when the materials do not show up. However, this year I will have to give DepEd credit, while they have not improved the education in schools, still not been able to deliver learning material, and still ignore and...

Pictures do speak louder than words. Here are some photographs shared by Ibaba Elementary School, a school in the town of Paete, Laguna, Philippines. These are photos shared with the public in the Facebook page of the school. These are projects made by students in a Grade V class. Project in A.P., Grade V-Rizal

Pictures do speak louder than words. Here are some photographs shared by Ibaba Elementary School, a school in the town of Paete, Laguna, Philippines. These are photos shared with the public in the Facebook page of the school. Captions are from the original posts. Pagpapadighay, pagpapaligo at pagbibihis sa sanggol...

by Joy Rizal I recently learned of some disturbing issues regarding this school year’s (2013-2014) text books / learning packages which the schools are suppose to be using. (The Learning Packages, which are essentially low budget workbooks, are to be used until next year or perhaps the following school year when standard textbooks should be available.) According to a recent news article in several national publications senior DepEd officials have stated several times that throughout the nation there should be no shortage or a very small shortage of text books /learning packages available for students this school year. Here is one example: DepEd: No more shortage of classrooms, teachers By Helen Flores   (The Philippine Star)  |  Updated May 31, 2013 - 12:00am   MANILA, Philippines - There will be no more shortage of classrooms, teachers and textbooks in public schools this coming school year, the Department of Education (DepEd) said yesterday....

The following photos were downloaded from the Facebook page of Ibaba Elementary School (Paete, Laguna, Philippines):

Formed in 2009, Haggibat, the organization of Mangyan tribes, has caused the building of 16 to 18 literacy schools among seven tribes in communities in the uplands of Mindoro. But all their efforts would come to naught if the military would continue to harass them to stop them from organizing against the operations of mining firms. Read Also:   Mangyan’s lit-num schools face seemingly insurmountable challenges By MARYA SALAMAT Bulatlat.com 7 June 2013 MANILA — Every opening of the schoolyear, the spotlight is focused on the public school system’s lack of classrooms, books and toilets. Often though, the spotlight misses the school situation of indigenous children. For children of the Mangyan, an indigenous people’s group comprising seven linguistic tribes in Mindoro, school opening is marked by an even more basic set of problem — they do not have schools nearby. Mangyan children share stories during the Mangyan Day gathering of 7 tribes in Mindoro (Photo by M. ...

The schools of the Mangyans have to deal with shortages, water being cut off during heavy rains, and harassments from the military. But they persist and are even planning to expand. Read also:   All the Mangyans want is for their children to learn By MARYA SALAMAT Bulatlat.com 7 June 2013 MANILA – Edgar Banaw, 25, a Hanunuo-Mangyan, has been teaching at the literacy school of their community in Sitio Gaang, village of Panatayan, Mansalay, Mindoro. He is called a “para-teacher,” as he is not a licensed teacher under the Professional Regulatory Commission. But for five years now, he has been teaching Mangyan children in their sitio or sub-village the “nine basic lines, the Filipino alphabet, numeracy and literacy.” Banaw was encouraged to teach by fellow Hanunuo and pioneer lit-num teacher in Mansalay, Ernie Uybad. Two years older than Banaw, Uybad first taught Mangyan children and even elders to read and write in 2007. Uybad first taught in another sitio after talk...

Sagada National High School in the Philippines maintains a blog for its school paper " Hillside Echoes ". Last month, it published an editorial on DepEd's K to 12 . The editorial noted that last year, the school witnessed three different curricula in the school. Fourth year students were still in the 2002 Revised Basic Education Curriculum while both second and third year high school students were with the unfinished 2010 Curriculum. First year students were facing the new K to 12 curriculum. The editorial describes reactions by parents to the K to 12 curriculum in the following manner: "...Feedback from parents of affected and will-be affected parents and guardians were heard during the General Assembly of the school’s Parents and Teachers Association. A mixed reaction was obviously seen and heard. Some said that this might only be an experimentation stage that might possibly be changed with the election of another President. Situations of universities and colle...

by Sr. Ma. Famita N. Somogod, MSM Coordinator Originally Posted Wednesday, 23 January 2013 17:17 http://www.rmp-nmr.org/index.php/recent-releases/280-our-indigenous-schools-will-rise-above-the-storm Reposted here with permission Superstorm Pablo (international codename: Bopha) mercilessly whipped at the riverine Lumad communities in early December last year. The magnitude of the disaster violently squeezing through the eastern provinces of Mindanao towards the northern part of the island, then out to the Visayas area in a span of few hours is a phenomenon the Lumad never imagined all their lives. The wrath of mother nature over man’s abuse of the environment pounded like eternity resembling doomsday. And, in those critical hours, they turned to Magbabaya for help and beseeched His intercession. For sparing every dear Lumad life, thanksgiving rites to Magbabaya (God) were offered after the storm. Still, the Pablo aftermath left badly devastated farms, lowly dwell...

Children as young as 10 years old do backbreaking work for meager wages in what the Aquino government calls as one of its “sunshine industries,” the palm oil plantations in Caraga region in Mindanao island. By  INA ALLECO R. SILVERIO Bulatlat.com MANILA — Allan is only 17, but he has been working full-time since he was 10. “It’s back-breaking work, but I do it because I want to help my family. Food is expensive, life is expensive. It’s really hard when you’re not rich,” he said. Allan lives in Caraga, Northeastern Mindanao and is a farmworker in one of several palm oil plantations in the province, the Agusan Plantation Incorporated (API). He works eight hours a day doing different jobs in the plantation, from harvesting to hauling and loading. He is thin and lanky, but there’s a look of strength in his hands. When standing, he maintains a straight posture, but once sitting, the curve in his back becomes noticeable. There is weariness in his eyes, a look of exhaustion tha...