LCP Features LGU Best Practices for Learning Continuity

Public education stakeholders and members of the local school boards (LSBs) from the cities of Bacolod, Escalante, Roxas, Iloilo, and Legazpi joined a webinar to learn about the award-winning basic education programs of the City of Balanga.

The "Innovative Learning Modalities and Programs for the Basic Education - Learning Continuity Program" is the first of a series of learning exchange programs under the Cities’ System Capacity Development (Ci-Cap) Project.

A component of the USAID-funded ABC+: Advancing Basic Education in the Philippines, the Ci-Cap Project aims to mobilize LGUs and local stakeholders, including the local private sector, to support and sustain improvements in early grade instruction in Regions V, VI, and in the province of Maguindanao in BARMM.

A total of 40 attendees took part in the discussion led by Tarra Ann Pagdanganan, Officer-in-Charge of the Balanga City Education and Excellence Development Office. Pagdanganan showcased the innovative programs that the city has been pioneering to achieve its vision to become a “smart university town” by 2030.

Pagdanganan discussed the creation of "Ugnayang Balangeño," the city’s multi-sectoral governance coalition, which gave residents a platform to participate in the local governance process, especially when it comes to the city’s education programs.

"[The multi-sectoral governance coalition] shifted the community’s perspective from being mere beneficiaries to being responsible partners," she said.

The education officer showcased the city’s experience in establishing 15 Barangay Learning Hubs (BLHs), which house computers donated by partners of the coalition for guided and computer-based learning.

"[The BLH Program] addresses the lack of school budget and faculty members with appropriate skills and non-conventional teaching pedagogy," she said. "It is an avenue to access quality learning materials, expertise, and personalized learning. It addresses the digital divide for some students who do not have access to technology."

Pagdanganan said the upgrade of investments in basic education was made possible by the proactive efforts of its city mayor, Francis Anthony Garcia, to involve the community and enlist the help of residents. She also reported that the program strengthened the relationship between education agencies such as the City Schools Division of Balanga and the local school board.

"Balanga City's program demonstrates how LGU’s can create a proactive response to the learn-from-home approach of DepEd as a result of quarantine restrictions. Although they consulted DepEd, they did not wait for DepEd to approach them for support. The Barangay Learning Hubs are not funded by the SEF alone. They used the LGU’s development funds and mobilized partners such as churches and the private sector," said Ina Aquino, Chief of Party of the ABC+ Project.

In 2017, the Literacy Coordinating Council (LCC) inducted the City of Balanga to the National Literacy Awards Hall of Fame for Outstanding Literacy Programs. From 2012 to 2016, the city was a winner of the Outstanding Local Government Unit (Component City Category) Award by the LCC, with the BLH Program being instrumental in securing said award in 2016.

USAID's ABC+ project through The Asia Foundation and the LCP will be featuring LGU-initiated literacy programs in a webinar series that demonstrate LGU-led approaches to help implement DepEd’s BE-LCP and sustain these education innovations moving forward.

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The ABC+: Advancing Basic Education in the Philippines is a five-year DepEd project funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) that started in July 2019. The Project aims to improve the basic life skills of early grade students in Regions V and VI, and in the province of Maguindanao in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. It is implemented by RTI International in partnership with The Asia Foundation and the League of Cities of the Philippines.