Mayor Vico Sotto and Cong. Roman Romulo were on top of the PPP with Coca Cola Philippines
Synergeia is grateful to have partnered with Coca Cola Foundation for a major PPP engagement last month. Coca Cola Foundation donated 21,000 gift packs for distribution to marginalized households in Luzon, Bohol and Cebu who were left out of the Social Amelioration Program. The gift packs consisted of food, sanitation kits and gallons of water. Each food pack had 5 kilos of premium quality rice, canned goods, enriched noodles, mongo seeds, powdered milk, soap, hand wash, and canned goods.
We helped coordinate the effort with local governments, barangay and parent leaders and organized a data base. We assisted in the actual distribution of the gift packs in the following LGUs: Pasig; Quezon City, Caloocan City, Navotas City, San Fernando in Pampanga, Muntinlupa, Malabon, Iloilo, Obando in Bulacan, Corella in Bohol, and Argao, Dalaguete and Consolacion in Cebu.
Happiness was painted in the faces of families as they received their gift packs. Uno, a special child from Muntinlupa, was our very special recipient of the Coca-Cola gift pack. He flashed his cutest smile when he received his gift pack together with his mother. The Local Chief Executives were very thankful and lent their presence to express their gratitude for the generous donation. Mayor Len Oreta led the organization of the relief program in Malabon. Mayor Vico Sotto and Congressman Roman Romulo were on top of the distribution of gift packs in Pasig.
Recipients from Obando, Bulacan and Uno, our special recipient from Muntinlupa City
As an awardee of the 2019 Seal of Good Education Governance, the Municipality of Padre Garcia in Batangas Province seeks to hold high its standards even amidst the Covid-19 pandemic. While the LGU is doing its best efforts to maintain a COVID-free community, it sees to it too that it is not compromising its education program.
The problem was evident. The pandemic was threatening the start of the school year and Padre Garcia was not ready. The LGU did not have modules, teacher training, parent orientations nor the gadgets for distant learning. However, to ensure that support in education continues, Vice Mayor Noel Cantos, Chairman of the Committee of Education, formulated an investment program in education called“Managing Education through Knowledge and Action” or “MEKA” for short. This was his response to the problems the pandemic caused. It was inspired from Synergeia’s MEKA Movement which was launched during National Education Summit last year. It stands for the same ideals as Synergeia’s – – #MEKAbuluhan, #MEKAkayahan, #MEKAgaligan , MEKAayusan, and a lot more that will #MEKAdifference (a play on the phrase “make a difference”) in education.
Under Padre Garcia’s MEKA program, various educational programs will be funded. Such as, ‘MEKArunungan’ program which is a campaign for zero non-readers and ‘MEKAlusugan’ program which aims to protect, nourish and keep teachers and learners healthy. ‘MEKAlinga’ program is a special program created for COVID 19 pandemic where financial assistance and relief goods are provided to the community.
How Vice Mayor Cantos decided on the MEKA program was through thorough research. He then brought his idea to the Local School Board which deliberated on it in consultation of the school heads. The Board decided on its priorities for the school year and the efficient ways to keep education going amidst these difficult times. To implement and sustain the modular distance learning scheme, schools will be conducting parental workshops ahead of the school opening to train parents on how to conduct home schooling. They will teach the parents how to create a hospitable learning environment and ways to support their children in these times. The role of the teachers is to ascertain that the students are learning. They will check the modules, call their students to ask if they need help and be available for them for consultations on lessons. The teachers will also be in close contact with the parents to help with problems they might encounter. To take precaution from the covid-19, there will be drop off and pick up points for the modules, and routines will be followed to maximize safety measures.
Padre Garcia’s MEKA program is designed to be a system where everyone helps each other. Its birth highlights a community and local government coming together to aim for better education outcomes in the midst of the pandemic. It is unfolding as one story of love for children of Padre Garcia.
North Luzon Regional Education Council officers are sworn in by Synergeia Mentor and Former Mayor Mary Jane Ortega
As early as March 2019, Mayors of Northern Luzon were already talking about ways to sustain the education reforms they have started. They do not want to let their efforts fade away. And so, on October 11, 2019 or after just seven months, they gathered together in Baguio City to formally launch the North Luzon Regional Education Council with lead convenor, Former Mayor and Synergeia Mayor, Mary Jane Ortega. They agreed that their REC will be their vehicle to sustain and scale up education governance reforms. They will provide leadership to LGUs in the region and come up with programs that will provide capacity building, sharing of lessons and best practices. Overall, through their REC, they want to promote a brotherhood of Education LCEs in Northern Luzon.
Their first meeting was productive, eventful and inspiring. They invited 2 private sector leaders whose companies have made Northern Luzon their home base. Mr. Carlos Aboitiz of the Aboitiz Group and Mr. Tommy Valdez of San Roque Power Corporation talked about what keeps their respective firms devoted to helping the education of children. Mr. Aboitiz said that the Aboitiz Group and Hedcor, Inc. believe in advancing business and communities in its drive to change for a better world. “We win only when we see also that our community wins.” This principle is shared by Mr. Valdez. He said their company aim is to build better communities. He is proud to be part of the effort to develop workbooks in English, Science and Math in partnership with LGUs and through the help of Synergeia. He said everyone should join hands to help others especially the poor so that through education, we can help our fellowmen especially the poor. This was followed by Local Chief Executives – Mayor Juan Carlo Medina of Vigan City, Mayor Stefanie Eriguel of Agoo, Mayor Francis Fontanilla of Bacnotan and Mayor Hermie Velasco of San Gabriel who shared their experiences in pushing forward the education agenda in their respective LGUs.
This REC is one proud REC. It has among its ranks 12 winners of the Seal of Good Education Governance, a prestigious award handed out to LGUs who display a strong commitment to improving education. The magnificent 12 include Vigan City, Ilocos Sur; Agoo, Bacnotan, San Gabriel and Santol, in La Union Province; Solano, Kayapa, Villaverde, Sante Fe and Diadi in Nueva Vizcaya; Diffun, Quirino and Tuba in Benguet.
With the Northern Luzon LGUs now inspired and energized, they held a session to discuss their proposed by-laws and to elect the following as officers of their REC:
Chairman: Mayor Juan Carlo Medina (Vigan City)
Vice Chairman: Mayor Stefanie Anne Eriguel (Agoo, La Union)
Secretary: Mayor Eufemia Dacayo (Solano, Nueva Vizcaya)
Treasurer: Mayor Alicia Enrique (San Nicolas, Pangasinan)
Auditor: Mayor Francisco Fontanilla (Bacnotan, La Union)
Communications Officer: Mayor Victorio Palangdan (Itogon, Benguet)
CAR Representative: Mayor Manuel Munar, Jr. (Sablan, Benguet)
Region I Representative: Mayor Herminigildo Velasco (San Gabriel, La Union)
Region II Representative: Mayor Elizabeth Balasya (Kayapa, Nueva Vizcaya)
They agreed that capacitating the LSBs is their topmost agenda. And they walk the talk. They held 2 training workshops for Local School Boards in November 2019 – one for Region I and CAR members and the second was for Region II members. The participating LSBs crafted their individual action plans based on their desired outcomes, and identified specific tasks, timelines and responsible persons.
In its first quarterly meeting this February 2020, the REC members talked about their experiences in reinventing the LSB. New members shared how they expanded their membership, created programs on reading remediation, included principals in planning the utilization of the Special Education Fund (SEF), hired LSB teachers, used the Phil-IRI in looking into reading skills of children, and attempted to activate their School Governing Councils (SGCs).
Older members reported how they have federated their SGCs, hired reading teachers and expanded their reading programs. The Municipality of Bacnotan and the barangays in Santol, La Union have allocated funds to create reading centers in the sitios. In San Fernando, La Union, the DepEd has incorporated values formation in their lesson plans. In Kayapa, Nueva Vizcaya, the LSB has created Little Free Libraries in each school.
Tuba, Benguet said it uses the “mother tongue” instruction only in classrooms where it applies. Agoo, La Union has tapped the NSTP students in helping teachers in conducting remedial reading sessions to poor readers. Villaverde, Nueva Vizcaya worked on improving the collection of the Real Property Tax (RPT) to increase the Special Education Fund (SEF). Vigan City LSB has invested on a massive Summer Reading Camp for frustrated and instructional readers. And Solano, Nueva Vizcaya LSB has been paying the salaries of daycare workers.
The North Luzon REC is leading the way among the six RECs and is first to meet again since the onslaught of the covid19 pandemic. They did it via zoom last July 17. They talked about how they can continue to share information and access trainings for the LSBs, SGCs, parents and teachers under the new normal set-up. Many were eager and interested to get hold of the learning resources produced by Synergeia.
Like the north star which lights the northern sky and gives direction towards one’s destination, the North Luzon REC is our north star that shines brightly among the RECs, and inspires and leads our LGU partners through their journey towards effective education governance.
