THE DEPARTMENT of Education-Northern Mindanao has affirmed its readiness of shifting to distance learning for the coming opening of classes.

“We would like to underscore the Bayanihan culture among Filipinos, which is very evident in Region X. We continue to do it even better to serve our clients by closing the gaps between the actual and the desired level of readiness,” said Regional Director Arturo Bayocot during a recently concluded national press briefing.

“At this time, we can say we are ready,” he stressed. Opening of the school year in the region is on Oct. 5.

Through the support of the Regional Development Council, in coordination with the National Economic and Development Authority, National Telecommunications Commission, and Department of Information and Communications Technology, DepEd Region X was able to forge memorandum of agreement with 14 local television stations and 39 local radio stations in support of the department’s radio-based and TV-based instructions as alternative delivery modalities to distance learning.

In addition, DepEd-NorMin holds a Facebook-live streamed regular program dubbed ‘BigaTEN DepEd X, Talakayan sa PIA’, and other media programs as its Information, Education, Communication, and Advocacy mechanisms to strengthen the department’s advocacy campaigns.

From the last week of July to the first week of August, the Regional Office and all 14 School Division Offices were able to conduct various initiatives and activities, such as dry-runs in schools, parents’ orientation, media fora, media partnerships, development/quality assurance/monitoring of self-learning modules, conversion of SLMs into radio and TV learning episodes and digital and interactive formats, and organization of classes.

The RO and SDOs further conducted capacity building of teachers and school leaders, regional and divisional monitoring and supervision, continuous health education on the management of emerging infectious diseases, continuous IECA, and recruitment/selection/hiring of teaching and non-teaching personnel.

Bayocot noted the importance of providing children with the necessary support not only from their teachers and parents, but also from their classmates.

“Our students who will be studying in their homes will need a support system, and only when they can find their classmates within the locality or within the neighborhood that we can help them boost their confidence to learn through distance learning,” Bayocot added.

DepEd-NorMin will continue to monitor the implementation of its learning continuity plans and be ready to address emerging issues and gaps to ensure the attainment of the department’s quest of education continuity.