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SEP 0 5 2020
04 September 2020

Leonor Magtolis Briones

Secretary
Department o f Education

Dear Secretary Briones,

Thank you for your response letter dated August 23. W e appreciate the opportunity to engage
further as we work towards our shared objective: Ensuring access to safe and quality education for
students in the midst of this pandemic.

The clarifications made, together with the supporting documents provided, are duly noted. W e
especially note our agreement that it is necessary to tailor interventions to local contexts and on
the information gathered from the Learner Enrollment and Survey Form (LESF). The conduct of
the LESF and the contextualization of the Learning Continuity Plans (LCPs) are steps in the right
direction- and further steps include constant engagement with stakeholders, including the
validation of how truly responsive the plans are to what is happening on the ground. This way,
plans and interventions will be refined, knowledge can be expanded through feedback loops, and a
sense of flexibility as the situation continues to unfold can be maintained.

The educators, stakeholders, and even local government units (LGU s) we continue to engage have
been very forthcoming not only with recommendations, but also with their concerns. Much
anxiety remains, ranging from whether face-to-face classes should be allowed to commence in
areas that have successfully managed to stem the spread of the disease, to questions on where
additional funds can be sourced. The need for candidness, transparency, and a robust
communications mechanism seems to be a common thread among those we have engaged. Rest
assured that our Office stands ready to assist not ju st in "the sharing of accurate information,” but
also in explaining matters to the public and the education stakeholders through the platforms
available to us. Please do not hesitate to reach out to my Office if there are specific points the
Department wishes to convey and if there are other ways we can be of help.

I would also like to take this opportunity to respond to specific items in the letter and offer
additional recommendations:

Setting Up o f Internet Hubs

T o support students in making the most o f the current distance learning modality, my Office has
undertaken the establishment of Community Learning Hubs. Through the hubs, learners will have
a place to go to get tutorial support as they complete their lessons and modules, particularly those
that come from environments where home-based learning will not be conducive. These sites are
also meant to serve as internet hubs in far-flung communities where connectivity at home is a
challenge. W e are ready to share the knowledge and processes we have learned along the way and
I offer the broad strokes here:

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N ew 'M anila, 11 12 Q u ez o n C ity
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 1.Identify an area where students are concentrated. This location should be easily accessible,
preferably walking distance from their homes. It should also be suitable for learning with
adequate lighting, minimal noise, proper ventilation, and internet connectivity.
2. Properly outfit these sites with adequate equipment such as tables, chairs, devices, and
school supplies.
3. Conduct a needs assessment study for the beneficiaries. This can be done by surveying the
students in the locality to gather information on connectivity problems, non-conducive
learning environments, parents who are not capacitated to support learning, and the like.
These identified beneficiaries are then scheduled in the hub depending on their needs.
4. Identify local partners for establishing the hubs, preferably in coordination with the local
government. This involves recruiting, training, and providing continuous support to
volunteers, who will manage the day-to-day operations of the hubs and provide tutorial
support to the learners. The presence of tutors is invaluable in this effort because they
ensure that all learners, especially those who are having a difficult time, absorb the lessons
that are taught.
5. Ensure that these learning hubs strictly adhere to minimum health standards such as
physical distancing, regular disinfection and wearing of masks. Materials, such as alcohol,
hand soap, and water should always be present for the use of the students and volunteers.

Testing and Other Medical Support for School Officials and Teachers

The guidelines set through DepEd Order 14 - 2020 will have much greater impact if effective
systems are put in place for implementation and support. For example, it would be beneficial to all
if the Department expedites the execution of Memorandums of Agreement with testing
laboratories on a per area basis, so that ready referral systems are in place for testing teachers and
other Department ffontliners. Such M OAs can also be pursued with quarantine facilities.

Furthermore, ensuring there is follow through on the required health standards and the other
types of health support some teachers expressed (e.g. regular flu shots, timely release of hazard pay,
and medical assistance especially in the case of infection, etc.) will be as important as
communicating these clearly and effectively within the Department. These can go a long way in
quelling uncertainty and anxiety among personnel.

Additionally, teams of trained medical experts should be organized at the soonest possible time
that will be available to regularly monitor and examine the health of teachers and other

Matters related to the Budget

Your letter states that several projects, amounting to P29.51 billion cannot be reallocated to
distance learning because they are essential for the return of learners after the C O V ID -19
Pandemic. This could be a valid concern, and necessitates looking for other avenues for fund
sourcing. The Presidential Contingency Fund, for example, is one such avenue. M uch of the
budgets for 2019 and 2020 have likewise remained unused, and provides another avenue for
sourcing funds. A special budget request to the Department of Budget and Management
requesting augmentation from the President's contingency fund might be useful to pursue. The
Presidential Contingent Fund amounts to P13 billion for 2019 and 2020; this can be used "to cover

N o. 100, I0 d i St, Barangay M arian a

N ew M a n ila , 1 1 1 2 Q u ezo n C ity
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the funding requirements of new or urgent programs, activities or projects o f national government
agencies.” Given the urgent need to shift to blended learning, this amount will go a long way in
meeting the needs of students and teachers for the coming school year.

Private Schools

I am confident that private schools appreciate the extension your Department gave them to fulfill
their requirements. There are those, however, who still express concern, as they will still have to
meet these requirements while trying to adjust to a new teaching modality— not to mention the
strain emanating from the struggle to remain sustainable despite dwindling enrollment. W hile
some of the requirements seem reasonable, many only serve to intensify the burden to private
schools, given the broader context of this shift. W e hope that the Department reviews these
requirements and finds a workable dynamic between the interconnected imperatives o f regulation
and empowerment as private schools endeavor to implement flexible learning options, modify
curricula, as well as equip their campuses and reskill their teachers to cope with the new demands.

Private schools are also experiencing financial strain due to the drop in enrollment numbers. A
bigger burden will, be put on our public school system should a lot o f them shut down because of
financial reasons. W e also recommend that the Department discusses with the appropriate
government agencies the possibility of giving equitable fiscal support for struggling private schools.
These support mechanisms may come in the form of tax breaks, zero interest loans, or subsidies.

Your response was definitely welcome, as it signals a recognition that, ultimately, we share the
same vision o f an educated populace, and are willing to come from a space of commonality in
achieving this vision. Again, we are here to help.

Thank you.

SERONA ROBREDO

No. liX>, I0 th £ t, Barangav Mariam*

Neve M.imlvi, 1 1 12 Quezon City
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