THE DEPARTMENT of Education on Monday kicked off its Brigada Eskwela program, highlighting the cooperation and collaboration among its stakeholders and partners.

Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte led the kick-off at the Tarlac National High School.

“Brigada Eskwela [or] Schools Maintenance Week is an appeal to the bayanihan spirit of every Filipino to help prepare our schools for the opening of classes,” Duterte said.

With the theme “Bayanihan Para sa Matatag na Paaralan,” this year’s schools maintenance program underscored the country’s volunteer initiatives to ensure a clean, safe, inclusive, and child-friendly learning environment.

“Ang Brigada Eskwela is pinasimple po namin para maintindihan ng lahat. It is just making our schools functional, clean, and orderly, inside and outside classrooms, and within school sites,” Duterte said.

Running from August 14 to 19, the advocacy program aims to encourage more local governments, communities, businesses, non-governmental organizations and other local and national partners to support the program and help prepare public schools for the opening of classes on August 29.

For this year’s Brigada Eskwela, the DepEd will no longer hold contests to emphasize the true spirit of volunteerism. Schools, districts, and divisions may still give recognition to partners and stakeholders that participated in BE.