SENATOR Christopher ‘Bong’ Go on Saturday reiterated his call for the Department of Education to ensure students have access to proper learning materials after errors in self-learning modules were reported.

“I am urging DepEd to work double time. Double time po dahil ang mga bata ay naantala ‘yung kanilang pag-aaral, tapos may kapalpakan pa sa module,” Go said in an interview.

“Pangalawa, isinumbong ko kaagad kay Pangulong Duterte ‘yung mga bastos na module. Sa may mga bastos na gumagawa, wala kayong lugar sa mundong ito. Iyung libro po ay para sa pag-aaral, hindi po para sa kabastusan. Nagkandarapa na nga po ‘yung mga kabataan sa pag-aaral, hahaluan ninyo pa ng kalokohan,” added the senator.

Earlier, Education Undersecretary for Curriculum and Instruction Diosdado M. San Antonio disclosed DepEd is in the process of hiring reviewers to set the content of their SLMs and called on the public to report any errors to the department’s Public Affairs Service.

Go stressed the importance of accuracy and appropriateness as students and parents alike face the challenging demands of online and hybrid learning as he lamented that many are still struggling to obtain laptops or tablets as well as reliable internet access.

Given these issues, the senator urged DepEd officials to quickly resolve the issue so time is not wasted and students can properly study using the modules as part of the blended learning approach being implemented by schools.

“Gaya ng sabi ninyo, ayaw ninyo ng may masayang na oras sa calendar year ng mga kabataan (kaya) huwag ninyo pong hayaang may maantala sa kanilang pag-aaral. Ang importante po, makapag-aral sila at tuloy-tuloy ang kanilang kaalaman at walang masayang na taon,” he said.

Go also expressed confidence the passage of Senate Bill No. 1844 would accelerate the rollout of telecommunication infrastructure needed for expanding internet penetration and improving connection speeds.

Once enacted into law, the measure, co-authored by him, will give the President of the Philippines authority to expedite the processing and issuance of national and local permits, licenses and certifications in times of national emergencies.

The Senator challenged telcos to improve their services and prioritize the consumers’ needs first, especially during times of national emergencies, rather than just focusing on profits.

“So, the ball is in your hands right now. I am urging telcos na bilisan ang proseso. Sa panahong ito, unahin ninyo po ang serbisyo para sa Filipino. Ayusin ninyo ang serbisyo dahil ‘yun na po ang tulong ninyo sa panahong ito,” he said.

“Hirap ‘yung mga kabataang sabay-sabay gumagamit (ng Internet). Kami minsan nga nasa session kami, napuputol pa ‘yung connection. Paano pa kaya ‘yung mga bata, lalo na ‘yung nasa bundok na lumalabas pa ng bahay? Magkakahawahan na naman. Unahin ninyo ang serbisyo before anything else. Before profit, unahin ninyo ang serbisyo sa Filipino,” Go added.