Latest news with #BrigadaEskwela
GMA Network
12 hours ago
- General
- GMA Network
DepEd gears up for school year 2025–2026 opening on June 16
With the opening of classes less than a week away, the Department of Education is in the thick of preparations to ensure schools are ready to welcome students on June 16, marking the start of School Year 2025–2026. DepEd Assistant Secretary for Operations Jocelyn Andaya emphasized the importance of early enrollment and community cooperation through the annual Brigada Eskwela. "Kaya nga po meron tayong tinatawag na Brigada Eskwela para talagang matignan natin kung ano pang mga kailangan sa ating classrooms,' Andaya said in an interview on Tuesday on Unang Balita. (We have Brigada Eskwela so we can assess what else are needed for classrooms.) Andaya also called on parents to enroll their children as early as possible to avoid delays in learning. "Gusto po namin i-encourage ang lahat ng mga magulang na i-enroll na nang maaga ang kanilang mga anak lalo na ngayong week, sapagkat ayaw natin mahuli ang ating mga mag-aaral sa mga lessons na ibibigay ng ating eskwelahan pagdating ng June 16.' (We encourage all parents to enroll their children early, especially this week, because we don't want our learners to fall behind in lessons once school starts on June 16.) School preparations are being done in coordination with parents, local government units, barangay officials, and private partners. "Ang ating mga magulang at ang ating mga local partners kagaya ng LGU, barangay tanod at private entities ay nagsama-sama sa tinatawag nating bayanihan... Ang iba naman po ay nag-donate ng iba't ibang gamit para lang maging handa tayo para sa June 16.' (Our parents and local partners like LGUs, barangay officials, and private entities have come together in what we call 'bayanihan'... Others have donated various supplies to help us get ready for June 16.) When asked about the availability of chairs and tables, Andaya said the final numbers depend on actual student enrollment. "Ang inventory po natin ay nasa ating mga eskwelahan... magiging depende po ito kung ilang mga estudyante ang mag-e-enroll ngayong taon." (The inventory is with our schools... it will depend on how many students enroll this year.) Some schools are also making repairs to furniture and facilities ahead of the opening. Meanwhile, in response to concerns about water supply in school restrooms, Andaya acknowledged that challenges remain, especially in Metro Manila. 'Lalo na dito sa NCR [National Capital Region], ang ating tubig doon pagka matataas na ang mga building ng ating paaralan ay mahirap." (Especially in NCR, water supply becomes difficult when school buildings are tall.) DepEd is coordinating with service providers and local governments to resolve these issues. "Nakikipag-coordinate po tayo sa ating water supplier para matulungan tayo tungkol dito, MWSS [Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System] ... Nakikipag-ugnayan din po tayo sa Meralco... at sa LGUs para matulungan tayo tungkol sa bagay nito,' she noted. (We are coordinating with our water supplier, MWSS, for assistance... We're also working with Meralco and LGUs to help address these issues.) —KG, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
13 hours ago
- Politics
- GMA Network
ACT: PH's 'functional illiterate' student woes due to shortage in teachers, classrooms
The lack of teachers, classrooms, and textbooks are to blame for the 18.9 million functionally illiterate students in the country, according to the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) Party-list. According to ACT Party-list, these systemic shortages continue to be the root of the country's deepening "learning crisis," as the following needs to be adressed: 150,000 additional teachers to bring down class sizes to the global standard of 35 students; 56,000 education support personnel to handle administrative work and provide essential services; 165,000 new classrooms, as only 30% of existing ones are in good condition; Adequate learning materials, as many schools continue to rely on improvised modules and activity sheets; Digital tools, as only 37% of teachers have laptops and just 17% of students have access to gadgets. The group also stressed that over 100,000 additional teachers are urgently needed to meet the demands of the K to 12 program and a ballooning student population. 'Shifting classes of up to three to four sessions a day are common in urban areas. May mga bata na pumapasok ng alas-5 ng umaga o kaya ay gabi na nakakauwi. Paano ka matututo sa ganitong sistema?' ACT Party-list Representative Antonio Tinio said in a press conference in Quezon City. (Some students go to school as early as 5 a.m. and return home late at night. How can one learn in such a system?) GMA News Online has reached out to the Department of Education for comment, but it has yet to reply as of posting time. Tinio urged the national government to significantly increase the education budget—not only to hire more teachers and build classrooms, but also to supply sufficient learning materials and improve teacher compensation. 'This crisis will only worsen unless Congress acts decisively. Kulang ang kasalukuyang budget para tugunan ang basic needs. We need to double it if we want to reverse the learning deficit,' Tinio added. (The current budget is not enough to address basic needs. We need to double it if we want to reverse the learning deficit.) The group is calling for immediate government action, which they hope will be discussed by President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos in his upcoming State of the Nation Address (SONA). 'Hamon natin sa ating pangulo na sa darating SONA, gusto natin magkaroon ng prioridad itong edukasyon. Lalo na't napakalala ng learning crisis,' said ACT NCR Union President Ruby Bernardo. (We challenge the President to make education a top priority in the coming SONA. The learning crisis has become severe.) Brigada Eskwela As schools gear up for the official opening of School Year 2025–2026, glaring infrastructure gaps are once again in the spotlight. From broken chairs to damaged ceilings, this year's Brigada Eskwela—the annual bayanihan-style cleanup and repair drive—has brought focus the persistent struggles of public schools across the country. In Mambaling National High School in Cebu City, the school combined Brigada Eskwela with student enrollment to maximize community participation. Teachers were joined by parents and students in cleaning the classrooms. However, the lack of cleaning materials slowed down efforts. 'Nanawagan kami sa mga magulang, para sa ating mga bata dito sa Mambaling National High School. Magdala ng mga gamit, walis, dustpan, garbage bag na kailangan natin para sa ating paglilinis,' said Kyla Ysabel Simpron, Brigada Eskwela Coordinator said in an Unang Balita interview. (We are calling on the parents, this is for our children here at Mambaling National High School. Please bring cleaning tools such as brooms, dustpans, garbage bags.) Meanwhile, in Pusok Elementary School in Lapu-Lapu City, the school reported progress in rebuilding facilities damaged by Typhoon Odette in December 2021. Repairs to ceilings and roofs were completed with ?2.9 million from the Special Education Fund in late 2024. A local cooperative also helped in renovating the school gate and other classrooms. Despite this progress, Assistant School Principal Randero Japitan revealed that about 30% of classroom chairs are either broken or missing. 'May mga upuan pa naman tayo na natitira na mga kahoy, temporary lang muna,' Japitan shared, noting that a request for additional chairs has already been filed with the DepEd Lapu-Lapu City Division. (We still have some wooden chairs left, it is temporary for now.) In Mandaue City, an inspiring partnership with the Bureau of Probation and Parole is contributing to Brigada Eskwela. Parolees and probationers are deployed in phases to assist with tasks such as gardening, drainage cleanup, and classroom repairs at Mandaue City Central School. Over in Tagbilaran City, Bohol, Brigada Eskwela is also in full swing. At Cogon Elementary School, parents and students came together to clean up classrooms and prepare for the new school year. —VAL, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
2 days ago
- General
- GMA Network
Volunteers, parents join forces for Brigada Eskwela in QC
Parents, teachers, students, and volunteers gathered early Monday morning at Piñyahan Elementary School in Quezon City to kick off Brigada Eskwela—the nationwide school maintenance initiative held annually in preparation for the start of classes. In James Agustin's report in Unang Balita, the event began with a parade around the school grounds, signaling the start of the week-long activity. Among the participants were around 80 volunteer security guards from a private company, who committed to cleaning and repainting 12 classrooms throughout the day. This is part of their advocacy and a way to give back to the community. Danilo Soralbo, Safety and Security Head of EMPC, said they hope to continue this kind of support in future Brigada Eskwela efforts. 'Gusto po namin na ito ay gawin paulit-ulit at sa taon-taon na Brigada Eskwela. Maliban sa ibang mga corporate social responsibility ng aming kumpanya para suportahan ng komunidad,' said Soralbo. (We want to do this repeatedly and every year during Brigada Eskwela, aside from the other corporate social responsibility efforts of our company to support the community.) 'Hindi lamang pagdating sa aming pagtatrabaho pati na rin po sa pagsuporta sa ating community.' (Not just through our work, but also in supporting our community.) Environmental group EcoWaste Coalition was also present to campaign for a 'Lead-Safe and Waste-Free Brigada Eskwela.' Street sweepers from Barangay Piñyahan also arrived early to help with the cleanup alongside volunteers. Once the parade ends and participants return to Pinyahan Elementary School, a short program will be held to officially launch Brigada Eskwela. Brigada Eskwela activities at the school are set to continue throughout the week, lasting four days in total. On June 16, 2025, the country would open classes for School Year 2025–2026, marking a return to the pre-pandemic school calendar, as outlined in DepEd Order No. 12, Series of 2025. The school year will run until March 31, 2026, covering 197 class days, including the End-of-School-Year (EOSY) rites. The DepEd noted that this number may change based on unforeseen events and future directives. —Sherylin Untalan/KG/AOL, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
2 days ago
- Politics
- GMA Network
Marcos inspects Bulacan school for Brigada Eskwela 2025
President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. helps put up a blackboard in one of the classrooms at Barihan Elementary School in Malolos, Bulacan during the launch of Brigada Eskwela on Monday, June 9, 2025. PCO livestream screengrab President Ferdinand ''Bongbong'' Marcos Jr. inspected Monday the ongoing school preparations at Barihan Elementary School in Malolos, Bulacan as part of the Brigada Eskwela 2025. Together with Education Secretary Sonny Angara and son William Vincent, Marcos checked the ongoing repairs on ceilings, windows, doors, and chairs of classrooms to ensure that these are all safe and ready for students in the coming school year. The Brigada Eskwela 2025 will run from June 9 to 13, involving teachers, parents and volunteers who are working together to prepare the public schools for the opening of classes. Angara said the Barihan Elementary School was chosen so that the President could witness the current state of public schools. Despite the onset of the rainy season, Angara also said the schools are ready for the opening of classes next week. ''June 16, medyo maulan na ho pero hindi kasing-lakas noong nakaraang taon, noong 2024 nagbukas tayo eh halos buong Metro Manila, buong Cavite, CALABARZON, lubog na sa ulan eh maganda na inagahan na po ng ating Pangulo 'yung pasukan natin,'' Angara told reporters. (It's already rainy but the rains are not that heavy like last year. In 2024, when we opened classes, almost the entire Metro Manila, Cavite, and CALABARZON were submerged in water. So it's good that the President declared an earlier opening of classes.) Meanwhile, over 300 bags filled with basic school supplies will be handed out at Barihan Elementary School on the first day of classes on June 16, 2025. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
3 days ago
- Politics
- GMA Network
DepEd sees 27M enrollees for School Year 2025-2026
The Department of Education (DepEd) is expecting around 27 million enrollees from preschool to senior high school for School Year 2025 to 2026, Assistant Secretary Jocelyn Andaya said on Saturday. With the growing population of students, Andaya said the DepEd continued to address the shortage of classrooms. The public education system lacks 165,000 classrooms that the DepEd aims to resolve through public-private partnerships. 'We will be able to build 105,000 new classrooms, and we will accelerate it through the early procurement activities na pinupush natin ito. Nakikipag-coordinate closely tayo sa DPWH (Department of Public Works and Highways) sa ganitong bagay,' Andaya said in an interview with Super Radyo dzBB. (We will be able to build 105,000 new classrooms, and we will accelerate it through the early procurement activities that we are pushing. We are closely coordinating with the DPWH on these things.) 'Ang gagawin natin ngayon ay titignan natin o kukumpunihin ang mga sira muna, at ating LGUs ay katuwang natin sa pag-purchase ng tables and chairs at pag-construct ng classrooms,' she added. (What we will do now is we will look into or fix the broken items first, and our LGUs will assist us in purchasing tables and chairs and in constructing classrooms.) DepEd said that they will be conducting Oplan Balik Eskwela, including the Brigada Eskwela, from June 9 to 13. The program will help improve classroom conditions. 'Meron po tayong sira-sirang mga tables at chairs, at ginagawan na po natin ng paraan. Kasama po yan sa ating gawing Brigada Eskwela ngayong Monday hanggang Friday. Titignan po natin ang bawa't isang upuan ng mga bata para di sila masaktan; irerepair natin yun sa abot ng ating makakaya. Ongoing naman po ang ating procurement sa ganitong mga silya at mga desks,' said Andaya. (We have broken tables and chairs, and we are resolving this. It is included in our Brigada Eskwela this Monday through Friday. We will check each chair so that the children will not get hurt, and we will repair it as much as we can. Our procurement for these chairs and desks is ongoing.) '[Ang Brigada Eskwela] ay pagpapaganda sa ating mga paaralan, sa ating silid-aralan. Katuwang natin dito ang iba't ibang sektor ng pamahalaan at lipunan, pati ang pampribadong sektor, maglilinis tayo ng mga paaralan at eskwelahan,' she said. ([Ang Brigada Eskwela] aims to improve the state of our schools and classrooms. We are working with several sectors of the government and society, as well as private sectors, to clean schools.) DepEd also hopes to reduce the teacher shortage this year. 'There are 20,000 new items. Pag mafill po natin yan ngayon, 32,000 na lang mahigit ang ating shortage,'' Andaya said. (There are 20,000 new items. If we fill it up now, there will only be a shortage of more than 32,000.) —Jiselle Anne Casucian/VBL, GMA Integrated News
