Over 140 education reform stakeholders from the region of Panay attended the First Regional State of Education Conference on November 6-7 in Bacolod City’s O Hotel. “Mainstreaming Education Reform in the Islands of Panay, Guimaras and Negros,” was the theme for the first-ever regional conference.  An initiative of Synergeia Foundation, Inc., the event was a collaboration among the Department of Education (DepEd), the Provincial Government of Negros Occidental, and the Eskwelahan Sang Katawhan-Negros, Inc (ESKAN).   

 

No less than DepEd Secretary Jesli Lapus graced the conference, which drew the active participation of local government officials, school superintendents, district supervisors, principals, teachers, parents, civic and non-government organizations, and the media from Region VI. 

 

Secretary Lapus, in his state of education message, cited the need to increase participation rate in schools, which is currently at 85% in the Panay region, and to improve health and nutrition for school children – two of the main thrusts of the DepEd.      

 

Lending strong support to the event were and Sugar Regulatory Administrator and Synergeia Board of Trustees Member Rafael Cosculluela, and Presidential Assistant for Western Visayas and also Chairman of the Regional Synergeia Council, Dr. Raul Banias. 

 

Negros Occidental Governor Isidro Zayco, Vice Governor Dino Yulo and Murcia Mayor Sonny Coscolluela joined participants in breakout sessions to discuss common issues in education that have resulted in poor academic performance across the region. Based on the identified issues, they agreed on priorities, prescriptions and commitments to address education gaps. Improved monitoring and supervision on the part of the LGU and the DepEd, and increased parent involvement were some of the solutions given. Specific programs, such as feeding for malnourished children, and livelihood, literacy and home visitation programs for parents were also prescribed.      

 

Two days of productive dialogue ended with the participants having a renewed sense of purpose and commitment toward education reform. They took back with them solutions, innovations, and insights to better the state of education not only in their respective communities but in the entire region.