EDUCATION Secretary Leonor Briones pledged that her agency will continue to implement appropriate policies and actions for the safety and welfare of stakeholders.

She said that the Department of Education will pursue projects and plans to support learners and teachers.

The DepEd, she said, prioritized support for learners in remote areas to ensure that they have access to virtual learning and to prepare them for the eventual shift to digital education.

“Inuna namin ‘yung mga lugar na tinatawag nating Last Mile Schools. So we started distributing gadgets already in anticipation of an eventual shift or higher level of dependency on technology,” Briones said.

“Multiple levels ang plano natin, nagpaplano tayo kung tatagal ang Covid; nagpaplano tayo kung makontrol na ang Covid. Iba’t ibang level ang pagpaplano natin. We plan for every possibility. Ito lahat ay pinaghahandaan dahil nakikita na natin na hindi natin mape-predict ang mangyayari, maraming variables,” she said during the Laging Handa press briefing.

To reinforce these plans, Education officials have conducted virtual visits and press conferences in different regions to engage and consult students, educators, and local stakeholders.

The DepEd team had finished holding virtual briefings in Region I (Ilocos Region), II (Cagayan Valley), III (Central Luzon), VII (Central Visayas), and XII (SOCCSKSARGEN). Next in line is Region IX (Zamboanga Peninsula).

Recently, some DepEd officials visited Negros Oriental to give out 3,124 digital devices donated by the Bureau of Customs to student and teacher beneficiaries as part of the agency’s Last Miles Schools program.

Meanwhile, Undersecretary for Curriculum and Instruction Diosdado San Antonio said  academic ease measures were also implemented to assist learners to adjust to the distance learning setup.

“Ang kailangan natin ngayon ay mas maging considerate tayo sa sitwasyon ng bawat bata,” San Antonio said.