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   The Civil Service Commission (CSC) recently unveiled its updated dress code for government employees, emphasizing inclusivity, cultural identity, and professionalism. While the move has garnered praise for promoting Filipino and ASEAN heritage, many civil servants, particularly teachers, have raised concerns about practicality and comfort. Under the new policy, outlined in Memorandum Circular No. 16, series of 2024, civil servants are required to wear Filipiniana-inspired attire on Mondays, agency-prescribed uniforms Tuesday through Friday, and smart casual clothing on weekends if working. The guidelines also align with the Philippine Tropical Fabric (PTF) Law by requiring locally sourced fabrics for uniforms. Concerns from Teachers On social media, teachers voiced strong opinions about the policy, particularly the prescribed fabrics and designs. "Maari po ba na cotton din po sana tela ng uniform ng mga teachers dahil parang sako po ng tela at sobrang init kapag isinusuot. ...

  Highlights: The ARAL Program offers free academic support to students struggling with learning gaps due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It aims to help learners improve their competencies in reading, mathematics, and science, ensuring they meet grade-level standards. President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. signed Republic Act (RA) 12028, or the Academic Recovery and Accessible Learning (ARAL) Act , into law during a ceremony at Malacañang on October 18, 2024. The ARAL Law seeks to accelerate learning recovery for students impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and address widening educational gaps. In his address, President Marcos highlighted the critical state of education in the Philippines, referencing data from the 2018 Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) that revealed 75% of Filipino students were below the minimum proficiency levels in reading, mathematics, and science. He stressed the need for immediate action. "This alarming trend remains persistent and ...

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has appointed several key figures, including Ronald Mendoza, a former dean of the Ateneo School of Government, and Georgina Yang, former spokesperson for Vice President Leni Robredo, to leadership roles at the Department of Education (DepEd), Malacañang announced on Thursday, October 3. Mendoza has been named Undersecretary for Policy and Planning at DepEd. With over 25 years of experience in development policy and public administration, he previously served as Associate Professor of Economics at the Asian Institute of Management and as a senior economist at the United Nations in New York. Mendoza was also appointed to the United Nations Economic and Social Council’s Committee of Experts on Public Administration (CEPA) from 2021 to 2025. Georgina Yang, former executive director of the Galing Pook Foundation and spokesperson for Vice President Robredo, has been appointed Assistant Secretary under the DepEd Office of the Secretary. She also managed the flag...

Last Friday, a turnover ceremony was held at Venue 88, General Santos City, to mark the leadership transition in the Department of Education's Sarangani Division. Gildo G. Mosqueda, CEO VI, who had been serving as the Schools Division Superintendent, officially handed over his responsibilities and authority to Ruth L. Estacio, CESO VI, who was assigned as the new Superintendent. Attended by various DepEd officials, educators, and stakeholders in the education sector, the occasion marked the start of a new era for DepEd Sarangani. The turnover ceremony was an opportunity for Mosqueda to bid farewell to his colleagues, staff, and friends, and for them to express their appreciation for his leadership and contribution to the division's growth and success. APPRECIATION. Board Member Jess Bascuña hands Mosqueda a plaque of appreciation for his service as SDS of Sarangani for over three years. (Photo by Jonathan Agreda) Sangguniang Panlalawigan Board Member Jess Bascuña awarded Mosqu...

The Sarangani Provincial Athletic Association (SPAA) Meet 2023 has officially kicked off in Alabel, Sarangani Province, on March 11. To avoid disrupting classes, as mandated by the Central Office, the competition is being held over two weekends. The games started on March 11-12 and will resume on March 18-19, 2023. "The conduct of this sports competition at all different levels is our way of providing an opportunity to our schoolchildren to discover, to harness, and to develop their innate talents and skills in the field of sports," Schools Division Superintendent Gildo G. Mosqueda, CEO VI said during the opening program. DepEd Sarangani hopes that the SPAA Meet 2023 will be a success and will inspire schoolchildren to become well-rounded individuals who are not only academically successful but also excel in sports.   “Sports also instill values necessary for the holistic development of our school children, foremost of this is sportsmanship, and the most important of all – th...

 On October 6, 2022, the people of Barangay Lun Padidu in Malapatan, Sarangani Province were jolted awake by the sound of sirens from speeding fire trucks. The Bureau of Fire Protection had reported a raging fire at Lun Padidu Central Elementary School, and eleven classrooms were quickly consumed, along with all the furniture, TVs, chairs, tables, and reading materials. In the face of this disaster, the community sprang into action, grabbing pails to put out the fire with water, showing the true spirit of Bayanihan. But despite their efforts, the damage was extensive, and the school's future hung in the balance. Thankfully, the Sarangani Division and the local government of Malapatan immediately took swift action to help the affected school, recognizing the importance of education for their community's children.  Various organizations and individuals stepped in to fill the gaps left by the fire, providing support to ensure that learning would not be disrupted. Despite the chal...

In a move to improve learning delivery in schools in the Philippines, Vice President and Secretary of the Department of Education, Sara Duterte, has emphasized the importance of integrating ICT into the education system in her Basic Education Report on January 30, 2023. Following this call to action, the Sarangani Division has stepped up the implementation of its innovation, LRonWHEeLS, which stands for Learning Resources on WiFi Hub for expanded e-Learning in Sarangani. In a recent consultative meeting and instructional supervision, the Curriculum Implementation Division identified that further strengthening of the ICT infrastructure and development of digital learning materials is necessary to enhance the program's implementation. As a response, the Sarangani Division has launched the SMART-ED Initiative, which aims to improve the quality of education in the region.   “There are many teachers in Sarangani who are employing 21st Century teaching methods. To complement that, we wil...

The technology field is rapidly evolving and experts predict that advancements in Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and the Internet of Things will profoundly impact society. To keep up with these changes, the education system must adapt and stay current. In line with this, a group of senior high school students from Sarangani Division in the Philippines has taken the initiative to make a difference. The research team consisting of Jan Laurence Guieb, Jhon Wincer Elbo, Vice Navarro, and Francine Aira Sanchez, has developed a project that aims to address a critical need in remote communities - access to clean water. The team has received full support from their adviser, Shiela Butil, PhD and will participate in a training program in Manila on March 13th. They will also receive a grant of Php 50,000 worth of materials to further develop their project, with the possibility of winning a prize of Php 200,000 pesos for the best team. The Sarangani Division is committed to providing ...

Staying true to the commitment of the Schools Division of Sarangani to improving reading skills among its learners and with a goal of achieving functional literacy for all students according to their grade levels, the Curriculum and Implementation Division, together with Save the Children, has launched the Catch-up Clubs (CuCs) Project. In SY 2022-2023, with the return of the full in-person classes, DepEd Sarangani and Save the Children signed a Memorandum of Understanding to promote and protect children's right to quality education. This project is aimed at providing reading remediation to upper primary grade students (Grades 4-6) who have been affected by the pandemic and supports the Division Reading Program Implementation and the 3Bs initiative or the "Hamon: Bawat Bata Bumabasa" and the Brigada Pagbasa of DepEd. The program employs a fun-based learning approach and incorporates play-based social and emotional learning activities.  To support the implementation of the...

The Schools Division of Sarangani recently held a series of re-orientations for teachers across all municipalities in Sarangani, in accordance with Division Memorandum 11 s. 2023.  The objective was to help teachers understand how to conduct reading assessments, track students' progress in reading, and provide appropriate reading interventions based on the 2023 1st quarter DMEPA results. The re-orientation was led by the Chief of the Curriculum Implementation Division, Donna S. Panes, along with the Filipino EPS Analiza Domingo, Reading Coordinator John Jerson P. Constantino, Division Librarian Maylene Grigana, and CLAFI partners April Domingo and Renato Panes.  The team visited different municipalities to conduct workshops, answering questions and clarifying any confusion about the guidelines for implementing the reading interventions. The re-orientation is also preparing schools for the upcoming district- and division-wide tracking of students' progress through validation of...

The Schools Division of Sarangani has been awarded the prestigious PRIME-HRM Bronze Award for its outstanding commitment to excellence in human resources management. PRIME-HRM, or Program to Institutionalize Meritocracy and Excellence in Human Resource Management, is a model that recognizes organizations that have implemented effective practices and systems in the management of their human resources.  The model focuses on the following areas: Recruitment, Selection, and Placement; Learning and Development; Performance Management; and Rewards and Recognition. The Schools Division of Sarangani has demonstrated its commitment to these principles through the implementation of various initiatives, including a comprehensive performance management system, an incentives program for top-performing teachers, and employee engagement activities.  The division has also implemented processes to measure the effectiveness of these initiatives and make improvements as needed. "We are hono...