THE DEPARTMENT of Education highlighted the innovative efforts of its field offices and school division offices which helped strengthen its literacy campaign and programs amid the Covid19 pandemic.

“Our offices managed to improve, innovate and develop lead projects and practices, which made it possible for the Department of Education to provide the best possible services before and during the pandemic, and [these are] through the efforts of DepEd’s field offices, the 16 Regional Offices, [and] 216 SDOs,” Revsee Escobedo, DepEd undersecretary for Field Operations, noted during the agency’s 2021 general assembly.

Escobedo said that the initiatives and collective efforts of its field offices enabled the agency to deliver accessible and quality basic education despite the disruption caused by Covid19.

As the Palarong Pambansa got postponed, its secretariat focused on the different initiatives to pursue sports education. It also developed the Palarong Pambansa Continuity Plan.

The establishment of the National Academy of Sports further institutionalized an educational system to implement quality and enhanced secondary education specializing in a sports-centered curriculum.

Escobedo, who also oversees the DepEd Employees Association Coordinating Office, underscored the prioritization of employee welfare through the creation of an Online Helpdesk. The Helpdesk provides assistance to employees, unions and cooperatives in resolving Covid19-related matters.

“Through DO No. 3, Series of 2021, Child Protection Unit along with the Child Rights Education Desk were created to further strengthen the Department’s policies and commitments towards child protection. We have capacity-building efforts and evaluation studies, skills enhancement of the personnel and training them to be more effective in their respective tasks crucial to the implementation of child protection program and policies,” Escobedo said.

The Education department also provided legislative support for child rights through the introduction of bills at the Senate and House of Representatives, implementation of laws relative to child protection and policy development on promoting child protection in schools.

Escobedo highlighted the agency’s partnerships with Stairway Foundation Inc., Facebook Philippines and Social Watch Philippines as a manifestation of the dedication of both the public and private sectors in asserting child rights.