SENATOR Loren Legarda filed a measure seeking to provide a gadget for students in public schools.

In filing Senate Bill 1 or the proposed “One Tablet, One Student Act of 2022,” Legarda underscored the importance of providing quality education for all Filipino students and helping them cope with the challenges brought about by the Covid19 pandemic.

The measure aims to give each elementary and high school student in public schools, as well as those enrolled in State Universities and Colleges, a tablet to help them adapt to the online learning system being implemented by the Department of Education since early 2020.

“By giving the students their much-needed device for learning, they would be able to participate effectively in their classes, and thus, we give them the opportunity to acquire more knowledge and become skilled after they graduate. It is one way of making quality education accessible to all, especially to those who cannot afford to buy their own gadgets,” Legarda said.

Along with DepEd, the Commission on Higher Education shall be tasked to implement the program, determine the eligibility of students who will qualify, develop an effective distribution system, and formulate guidelines on the usage, maintenance and accountability for the tablet.

Under SB 1, the DepEd and CHED, in coordination with the local government units through the Department of the Interior and Local Government and the Department of Information and Communications Technology, shall disseminate the implementing rules and regulations for the effective implementation of the program.

While the DepEd is bent on implementing full face-to-face classes, Legarda said that the “One Tablet, One Student” program will still be necessary as the number of Covid19 cases and the positivity rate in the country continues to increase.