Cities Discuss Good Practices in Maximizing Local Resources for Public Education

City officials and public education stakeholders from the cities of Iloilo and Roxas tuned in to the presentations from Quezon City (QC) and San Fernando City, La Union recently to learn about allocating resources to support the implementation of the Department of Education's (DepEd) Basic-Education Learning Continuity Plan (BE-LCP).  

Organized by the League of Cities of the Philippines (LCP), the learning consultation focused on helping LGUs strategically mobilize resources for sound and sustainable investments for early grade learning, as exemplified by the LGUs of QC and San Fernando.

The event is part of the Cities' System Capacity Development (Ci-Cap) Project of the USAID-funded ABC+: Advancing Basic Education in the Philippines, which aims to mobilize LGUs and local stakeholders to support and sustain improvements in early grade instruction in Regions V, VI, and in the province of Maguindanao in BARMM.

Despite limitations in local resources, San Fernando City LGU representatives showcased their various initiatives in ensuring learning continuity for all resident learners in the absence of face-to-face classes. The LGU representatives revealed that partnerships played a role in securing the Self-Learning Modules (SLMs) and learning equipment for public school learners in the city.

"We have partnered with the different barangays to deliver the SLMs and use the barangay halls as the pick-up and the drop-off centers," said Rowena Banzon, Division Superintendent, DepEd San Fernando City.

"The Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) has purchased 1,000 tablets to be used by our learners at SK teen centers. We also have study buddies at the SK centers who are ready to assist the learners," added Banzon.

QC, the largest city in the country, presented its Education Affairs Unit (EAU), which serves as the local school board's technical working group and delivers evidence-based learning programs to meet the city's academic targets for its learners.

"The LGU created the Education Affairs Unit to look after the programs that we do for education, from early childhood care and development to the local universities and colleges of the city. We advise the mayor, we monitor the education programs," said Aly Medalla, QC's EAU head.

In turn, representatives from Iloilo and Roxas expressed interest in replicating the strategies modeled by QC and San Fernando. They also shared their current experience in combining all their local resources to ensure learning continuity.

"Iloilo City has already procured laptops worth P65 million to equip 500 teachers. Our LGU's long term goal is to give all teachers equipment while DepEd and its partners continue to provide the necessary training and professional development opportunities in response to the new normal in basic education," said Ms. Luz delos Reyes from the LGU of Iloilo.