May 3^rd, 2017 marked the day Synergeia, in partnership with SMART/PLDT, launched the Seal of Good Education Governance, which is awarded to outstanding Local Government Units (LGUs) which have measured up in terms of leadership in the implementation and funding of education programs through their Local School Boards (LSBs).

The Seal highlights the importance of: 1) the use of metrics in measuring performance; 2) transparency as it empowers communities; 3) accountability for performance of both local government and school officials;  4)  incentive for communities that make education work; and 5) setting benchmark for excellence in education governance.Winning LGUs each received technology incentive packages worth up to P1.5 million from SMART/PLDT.

On September 29, 2017, during Synergeia’s 11^th National Education Summit, a total of 24 LGUs from across the nation were awarded the seal for their upstanding commitment to education within their communities. From Luzon, there were eight awardees: Valenzuela City (NCR), Bacnotan (La Union), Santol (La Union), Tuba (Benguet), Solano (Nueva Vizcaya), Villaverde (Nueva Vizcaya), Diadi (Nueva Vizcaya), and Diffun (Quirino). Synergeia’s partner LGUs in Visayas earned the most awards with 11 awardees: Balamban (Cebu), Dalaguete (Cebu), Argao (Cebu), Ivisan (Capiz), Dao (Capiz), Lambunao (Iloilo), Cabatuan (Iloilo), Miagao (Iloilo), Alimodian (Iloilo), Concepcion (Iloilo), and Mina (Iloilo). In Mindanao, five LGUs received the seal: Cagayan de Oro (Misamis Oriental), Bongao (Tawi-Tawi), Simunul (Tawi-Tawi), Upi (Maguindanao), and Datu Paglas (Maguindanao).

All these LGUs have significantly increased their Cohort Survival Rate, NAT scores, while also lowering numbers of frustrated readers or nonreaders. Santol, Diffun, Tuba, Ivisan, and Dalaguete are among the municipalities whose Cohort Survival Rate increased significantly with Santol’s (52% to 81%) and Dalaguete’s (73% to 103%) scores having a 29% and 30% change respectively. As for NAT scores, Villaverde currently holds the highest NAT score with an average of 89.61 points as of 2017, coming from 77.98 points in SY 2014.

Each municipality had its own story to share and its best practices that led them to garner this award. For example, the mayor of Bacnotan in La Union is credited as reading mayor who prioritizes literacy and has placed literacy at the forefront of their advocacies. Among the initiatives taken are a mobile library/reading caravan that visits the different areas of the municipality on weekends. LGUs such as Simunul, Alimodian, and Concepcion are unique in that they must also overcome the physical obstacles that could hinder their education. Despite how remote these places are, their LGUs still succeed giving quality education to their students. For many other municipalities, the simple act of being a more hands-on local chief executive can do wonders for the morale of a community.

The winners were all smiles at the event after having seen how their hard work in the field of education was recognized and afterward many of our partner municipalities said that they would aim for higher goals.

By: Carmela Kris Armilla, Program Officer, Synergeia Foundation

“Before I retire, I will contribute what I can to make our SGC functional and active,” declared Juan Rivera Jr. with resolve after attending the SGC Workshop. Mr. Rivera is the 61-
year-old principal of Apo Elementary School in Argao. With four years left in his term, Principal Rivera is inspired to exhaust all means to improve the school he serves. He sees the SGC’s role
in making this possible.

He was one of around 170 School Governing Council (SGC) members from Argao, San Fernando and Santander who attended the two-day workshop “We Can Work It Out: Making Our SGCs Work” held at Montebello Hotel, Cebu City last July 25-26, 2017.

Having undergone Level 1 training, our SGCs this time were given Level 2 training “with a little bit of 3.” The “little bit” part aimed to introduce some Level 3 modules to our participants.

The first plenary focused on a review of the role of the SGC, its responsibilities, how it is formed and why it is different from the Parents-Teachers Association. When the participants
were divided into clusters, they went through an appreciative inquiry exercise where they shared stories behind the performance of their students in terms of their NAT scores and the cohort
survival rates. Realizing where the students stand had set the tone for the SGCs to be introspective on how they can play more effective roles in improving basic education.

Their first group activity was solving a puzzle. It was meant to test how well they work with others. After the group activity, one participant realized the essence of “making collaborative ideas.” Another said that when faced with limited resources, thinking “outside the  box” was key. Gov. Josie dela Cruz, former Governor of Bulacan and Synergeia mentor, emphasized the importance of inclusivity when working in the SGC, stating that exclusivity might limit opportunities for development.

SGC members are shown trying to solve the puzzle.

Using a “satisfaction meter,” the SGCs then went on to assess their performance on five aspects – their ability to hold regular meetings and set agenda, election of officers, agreeing on by-laws, engagement of the community and formulation of school policies. Through role-plays and cluster discussions, the participants learned more about project planning, translating goals into tasks, financing and conflict resolution. One policy that they think should be established is the roles of parents and the school principal and teachers in the education of the children. They agree on the important role of parents because they are the teachers of students at home.

Synergeia Mentor Gov. Josie facilitates the discussion on activities and tasks to implement the goals of the SGC.

Creative fund-raising activities for the SGC were also discussed. Gov. Josie shared a snippet of wisdom – that “all funding begin with a good project.” Some barangays shared that activities such as Gulayan sa Paaralan, Prince and Princess contest, and sewing projects have financially supported their respective schools and SGCs.

The concepts of input, output and outcomes, the steps in designing process flows, and action planning and evaluation were introduced to the participants. These are the Level 3 modules that have been included in this workshop. The participants learned new tools such as the process flow and action plan matrix that will help them identify tasks more systematically and in specific terms including setting deadlines to accomplish these tasks. They also learned about looking beyond outputs and seeing that outcomes of their projects are what impact the lives of students and the community as a whole.

At the end of the workshop, our SGC participants agreed that the collaboration of parents, school and barangay leaders is the linchpin towards a holistic and secure quality education for students in their respective communities. They gave their thanks and shared the common goal they wish to accomplish. “Our goal is to make our SGCs functional in their respective areas,” shared Ms. Rosalina M. Fuentes, principal of Balasa Elementary School.