It is often said that empowering communities begins with providing them access to information. With this principle in mind, Mayor Milliard Villanueva, a staunch advocate of education reform, proudly presented the state of education in Concepcion during the recently held Municipal Education Summit. His address highlighted the pivotal role of the Local School Board (LSB) as a platform for fostering transparent, accountable, and inclusive development. He detailed how the Special Education Fund (SEF) is strategically utilized, emphasizing its contributions to a brighter and more inclusive future for every Concepcionanon.
The regular meetings of the Local School Board have become a cornerstone for addressing challenges faced by the education sector. With over half of the municipality’s school buildings located on islands, urgent issues such as infrastructure development and the construction of essential facilities take center stage. These meetings serve as a venue for ensuring transparency and amplifying the voices of schools, guaranteeing that the local government addresses their specific needs and concerns. For School Year 2023-2024, the two educational districts of Concepcion received allocations of Php 4.7 million and Php 3.3 million, respectively.
The town’s dedication to improving literacy and numeracy is evident through initiatives like *Project BATA* (Bata Alerto, Talentado, Asensado) and *Project Milliard* (Multiple Integration of Localized Learning Interventions on Arithmetic and Reading Development). These programs received a significant Php 2.9 million from the SEF budget, reflecting their priority in the municipality’s agenda. Furthermore, since the reopening of schools post-pandemic, Concepcion has rolled out a range of municipality-wide programs. These include remedial education, specialized training for teaching and non-teaching personnel, supplemental feeding, and early childhood care development—all aimed at supporting the holistic development of learners.
For Mayor Villanueva, the transparent and effective use of the SEF embodies his administration’s unwavering commitment to education and the well-being of every learner in the community. By fostering collaboration and addressing pressing challenges, Concepcion continues to build an educational system that empowers its people and shapes a brighter future for all.
The Proof of Concept (POC) initiative chose the Province of Iloilo as a test case for this experimentation on the devolution of basic education to LGUs because of the province’s culture of innovation and its capacity to venture into new strategies and approaches for the improvement of the performance and quality of education.
Iloilo plays its battle where the expectation is for all players to be open and ready to fight and brave the monsters, so to speak, in terms of the big tasks ahead of them.
Clearly, the POC is anchored on the strength of its capacity-building activities for teachers, parents, and the leadership of the Local School Boards (LSBs) and thus emphasized as critical and necessary for the betterment of readers, particularly from the Grade 3 level, in the province.
Synergeia’s Dr. Milwida Guevara noted that the empowerment of LSBs towards increasing its role in policy formulation is a key consideration in this innovation exercise and provides a new way of thinking in transforming how basic education is presently approached.
In the organizational and planning meeting of the POC in Iloilo City, the participants, composed of 11 LGUs, the DepEd, the DILG, and the LSBs, expressed their passion and desire to work together, mindful that when they brave the monsters and win, the Province of Iloilo concludes the experimentation with a constructive validation of devolution of education to LGUs as the best way to go and emerges as the model economy which may stoke the fire for an enabling legislation for its adoption by the entire LGU network.
Norhaina Butuan’s life has been a challenging journey since she first entered the world. She was born without arms and legs, which made everyday activities more difficult for her. Growing up as the second child in a family of ten, Norhaina experienced hunger on a regular basis. Her family struggled to make ends meet, and empty stomachs were a constant reminder of their scarcity. Despite this, Norhaina learned to endure the pangs of hunger and became resilient at a young age.
Norhaina’s dream of becoming a teacher was threatened by her condition, which made it difficult for her to progress in elementary school. Writing on a blackboard was a huge obstacle, and it felt as though her limitations were holding her back.
But Norhaina refused to let her circumstances defeat her or her aspirations. Last year, she joined the Alternative Learning System offered in her community. She passed the elementary level exams and is now part of the program as a high school learner thanks to the Synergeia Foundation and UNICEF.
Despite the challenges she faces, Norhaina’s determination and resilience have allowed her to overcome her obstacles and strive towards achieving her goals. Her unwavering spirit and indomitable will have made significant progress in her education and personal growth. She is fortunate to have a passionate Instructional Manager who guides her and even visits her at home whenever she cannot attend school. Her classmates are also kind enough to lend a helping hand and even carry her so that she can come to school. Norhaina’s story is one of perseverance, hope, and inspiration.
N: Ako po si Norhaina Butuan, ikalawa sa sampung magkakapatid. Ang aking ama’y magsasaka at ang nanay ko naman po’y sa bahay lamang po upang alagaan kami. Ako po ang katuwang ng aking mga magulang sa bahay. Magmula pa noong isilang ganito na po ako walang mga paa at mga kamay. Ako po’y labis na nahihirapan sa aking kalagayan. Gayunpaman po, mas nanaig ang aking pasasalamat at determinasyon dahil ako po’y nabigyang buhay at nabubuhay sa mundong ibabaw.
N: Kasulukuyang nag-aaral ako sa ALS.
R: Bago ka nagaral sa ALS ano ang ginagawa mo?
N: Dati po akong nag aaral sa formal school at ako po’y napatigil at hindi natapos ang aking elementarya dahil po walang naghahatid sa akin sa paaralan. Si inay hindi ako mahatid dahil po naghahanap buhay. Mga kapatid ko naman po ay nag aaral din sila.
R: Noong hindi ka nagaral kasi nahihirapan silang ihatid, ano ang naisip mo bilang bata? Ikaw ba ay nalungkot o hindi—may pangarap ako, may gagawin ako tungkol dito?
N: Napag isipan ko rin po yun at nasabi ko sa aking isipan na gustong gusto ko nang mag aral. Tinanong ko po sila tatay at nanay kung pwede na akong mag-aral kasi po may mga pangarap ako para sa sarili ko at para narin po sa kanila. Sagot po nila, “sige papayagan ka naming mag aral kung may tutulong sa iyo sa pag-aaral”.
R: Sabihin mo in one sentence yung pinapangarap mo para sa sarili mo.
Pangarap ko po talagang maging guro pero dahil sa kapansanan ko po, gusto ko nalang maging bihasa sa paggamit ng computer dahil yun po ang nakikita kong kaya kong gawin. Yung pagiging guro po hindi ko kayang gawin dahil po hindi ko abot ang pisara.
R: Naniniwala ka noong panahon na hindi nila kayang dalhin sa school na ang imposible ay pwedeng maging posible? Naniniwala ka ba na kaya mo ito for as long as may opportunity?
N: Opo naniniwala naman po ako sabi ko sa sarili ko kaya ko ito para sa pamilya at ako’y mag aaral nang mabuti.
R: Paano mo nalaman tungkol sa oportunidad na ito, ang ALS?
N: May nagtanong kung gusto ko po bang mag-aral ulit. Sagot ko po, “opo gustong gusto ko po. Paano? Saan? Kailan? Kanino?” May lumapit po sa aking babae sabi may ALS program sa ating munisipyo at sinabi po niya sa akin ang kagandahan ng ALS:
*Ang ALS hawak mo ang oras mo
*Sa ALS lahat pwedeng mag-aral, OSY, May asawa,Matanda,may kapansanan
*Sa ALS walang discrimination lahat pantay pantay
*Sa ALS tuturuan din tayo ng livelihood training
Hanggang sa makilala ko po si ma’am Meilene Ampang, ang aming guro. Sunod na araw pumunta si ma’am Meilene Ampang sa aming tahanan upang akoy turuan. Yun po ang naging daan upang ako’y magkapag patuloy sa aking pag aaral.
R: Ano sa tingin mo ang naging mabuting karanasan mo sa pag-aral mo sa ALS? Ilang taon ka noon?
N: Dalawang taon na po akong nag aaral sa ALS. Yung una po nitong nakaraang taon bilang elementarya. Ngayon naman po bilang isang junior high school po, marami po akong natutunan sa pag aaral sa ALS. Sa palaging pagpunta ni ma’am sa aming tahanan upang akoy turuan nasabi ko pong ‘wow! maraming naitulong sa akin ang ALS.
Tinanong po ako ni ma’am kung handa na ba raw akong pumunta o pumasok sa aming CLC? Sagot ko po, “opo sabik na sabik na akong pumasok at pumunta sa school. Gustong gusto kong maki-isa, makita, makihalubilo sa aking mga kaklase. Gustong gusto ko po talagang maranasan ang isang tunay na pag aaral.”
R: Anong sinabi sayo ng magulang mo habang ginagawa mo?
N: Sabi po ng mga magulang ko, “pagbutihin mo ang pag-aaral mo dahil ito ay para sa ikabubuti mo”
Sabi pa po nang nanay ko, “kahit anong maranasan mo mag-aral ka nang mabuti”
Sagot ko po, “opo nay. Para ito sa ating pamilya. Pagbubutihan ko po ang pag aaral ko at magtatapos. Kayang kaya ko ito!”
R: Sabihin mo sa akin ang naging karanasan sa mga kaklase mo tungkol sa kundisyon mo. Nakatanggap ka ba ng positibong encouragement, na parang sinasabi nila, alam mo, wala yan. Gawin natin ang dapat gawin. Mag-aral tayo nang mabuti. Mararating natin yan. Kahit may kapansanan, hindi yun dapat balakid sa kaalaman. Yun ang dapat na motivation kasi tayo lang tutulong sa sarili natin.
N: Masaya po sa school. Ang makasama ang aking mga kaklase at mga kaibigan ay napaka saya po. Tinutulungan po ako ng aking mga kaklase. Binubuhat po nila ang wheelchair ko para makapasok ako sa aming classroom at palagi po nilang pinapalakas ang aking loob. “Nor wag kang mawalan ng pag-asa. Nandito lang kaming mga kaklase mong handang tumulong sayo at handang umakay saiyo sa lahat ng oras at panahon.”
R: Nawalan ka ba ng pagasa? Wala, andito lang ako, mahirap lang kami, walang tutulong sa akin.
N: Hindi ako nawalan ng pag-asa na magsalita ng ganun. Kaya ko ito. Hindi ko papansinin ang sinasabi ng tao. May tumutulong sa akin, hindi lang kayo. Ang daming tumutulong sa akin.
R: Ano ang mensahe mo sa mga batang katulad mo na minsan ay nawalan ng pagasa?
N: Mensahe ko lang, sana huwag kayong mawalan ng pag-asa. May pangarap kayo sa buhay. Kaya nyo. Ganito. Tulad ko, hindi ako nawawalan ng pagasa.
R: Mensahe sa mga guro, kay ma’am Mailene na nagtuturo sa iyo sa ALS? Anong ang gusto mong sabihin sa kanila?
N: Ang masasabi ko lang kay ma’am, ma’am salamat. Kung hindi dahil sa inyo, hindi ako makakapag-aral dito saka hindi ako matututong magbasa. Mabuti nakilala ko si ma’am, kung hindi, paano na? Hindi ko alam ang gagawin ko. Saan ako kukuha ng teacher na mabait? Salamat nakilala ko siya. Mahal na mahal ko si ma’am. Pangalawa kong nanay yan. Salamat ma’am. Andiyan ka palagi sa akin saka lagi mo akong sinsorportahan. Salamat.
N: Ako po ay si Norayna Butuan, ALS student, ako po ay laban sa kahirapan
