Senator Sherwin Gatchalian on Wednesday urged the Duterte government to accept ABS-CBN’s offer to use its transmission network and educational programs for the Department of Education’s (DepEd) learning continuity plan (LCP).
(Senate of the Philippines / MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO)
Gatchalian said doing so would help assist millions of households and students that will utilize DepEd’s blended learning modalities as they adjust to the ‘new normal’ when classes opens on Aug. 24.
“This is a win-win-win solution for all parties - for ABS-CBN, for the Department of Education and for our children who urgently need to learn even under the pandemic,” Gatchalian said in a statement.
President Duterte, in his fifth State of the Nation Address (SONA), said television frequencies reverting to the government will be used to provide uninterrupted quality education amid the COVID-19 pandemic and the shift to distance learning.
Duterte also directed the DepEd, the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) to come up with an integrated program and implementation mechanism to utilize these frequencies using the facilities of state-run People’s Television Network (PTV-4).
However, the Senate basic education, arts and culture head said the government will face fewer hurdles in the broadcast of educational programs if it utilizes ABS-CBN’s transmission network.
He also said it is necessary that any TV-based educational program that the government will produce should be accessible and conducive for learners with disabilities and those enrolled in the Alternative Learning System (ALS)—DepEd’s parallel program for those who cannot access formal education due to economic, geographic, political, cultural, and social barriers.
“Dahil abot ng ABS-CBN ang malaking bahagi ng bansa, isang malaking tulong ang kanilang alok na magamit ang kanilang transmission network at mga programa upang maipagpatuloy ang edukasyon sa gitna ng pandemya (Because ABS-CBN has a wider reach in the country, their offer will go a long way especially if the government is able to use their transmission network for educational programs in the middle of a pandemic),” the lawmaker said.
“Sa kabila ng krisis na ating pinagdaraanan, mahalagang gamitin natin ang lahat ng posibleng paraan upang maabot natin ang bawat mag-aaral, (Despite the crisis we are going through, it’s important to use all possible means we can do to reach all students in this country),” added the senator.