TWO PUBLIC high schools in Davao del Norte received the Southeast Asia Ministers of Education Organization-Japan Education for Sustainable Development Award during the 45th SEAMEO High Officials Meeting for their sustainable development initiatives.

La Filipina National High School in Tagum City bested 278 participating schools from eight countries in Southeast Asia and bagged the 1st prize. Meanwhile, the Panabo City National High School claimed the 3rd prize.

Dr. Dionisio Siglos, LFNHS principal, and Teacher Coordinator Philip II Bohol led the Salida La Filipina, an initiative that carried out activities focused on advocacy campaigns, supplementary media-based instructional materials and community engagement, among others.

“Salida La Filipina was our answer to the challenges of distance learning due to the pandemic. Thank you to the school community for conceptualizing the project, to external partners for filling the resource gaps, and to the teachers for braving the production of media-based lessons with the guidance of supervisors,” Siglos said.

Siglos and Bohol received plaques of recognition, $1,500 prize money and a study tour in Japan.

Meanwhile, PCNHS Principal Memia Barretto Infiesto and Teacher Coordinator Darna Tan initiated the “Bayanihan Caravan: Bridging the School and the Community through Partnerships,” which focuses on strengthening community partnerships for transformative education, organized community-based literacy and numeracy programs and addressed the new normal academic framework in through curricular research.

“As integral parts of the educative process, we envision schools and stakeholders who are united to help bring information and solutions to address the challenges that teachers and learners face in these difficult times and bring about the positive changes that DepEd also envisions to achieve for our learners and country’s future,” Infiesto said.

Infiesto and Tan received a plaque of recognition and a $500 prize.