Over three million learning resources and curriculum guides have been prepared by the Department of Education (DepEd)-Region 4-A (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, and Quezon area) to ensure that the education of students currently enrolled this school year will continue even amid the absence of face-to-face classes.

DepEd-Region 4-A Regional Director Wilfredo Cabral assured that the preparation of Calabarzon schools for the opening of classes on Oct. 5 is in full swing, especially in the status of learning resources readiness.

Cabral noted that Region 4-A is already in the “advanced stage” of learning resources preparation to accommodate over three million enrolled learners. “Our enrollment continues to increase, now we have more than three million,” he said in Filipino.

Currently, Cabral said that curriculum guides for various learning modalities as well as learning resources for each modality are being prepared. “Region 4 now is at the advanced level of preparation to ensure the readiness of our schools for the opening of classes,” he added.

To ensure that students will continue their education this school year regardless of their circumstances, the DepEd has allowed its regional offices (ROs) to contextualize the Basic Education-Learning Continuity Plan (BE-LCP).

With this, DepEd Calabarzon contextualized its BE-LCP for local setting and will implement hybrid learning for School Year (SY) 2020-2021. Cabral said that DepEd-Region IV-A’s LCP implementation is anchored to the “PIVOT 4ALCP” with eight key points, including resource mobilization and assessment.

Cabral explained that regional contextualized LCP also features advanced curriculum guides and training for teachers as well as a contingency plan on health standards as a response to the pandemic.

“Our assessment will be prepared alongside the curriculum as well as the continued training of teachers,” Cabral said. “Our resource mobilization is also focused on human finance and partnership and we’re very happy that our stakeholders continue to give their support for the opening of classes this school year,” he added.

From the learning delivery modality decision stage to the distance learning dry run, Cabral cited the preparations of Imus National High School (INHS) as an example of how the region is preparing for the upcoming school year.

With the majority of its learners going for online and modular distance learning, Cabral said that INHS sought an intensive process to determine the modality of best fit for learners.

Support and engagement of stakeholders also assisted INHS in its preparation such as “BIDA I-KonEk Mo” in cooperation with Converge IT Solutions provided fiber optic connection for school’s virtual education studios and free connection for learners.

Furthermore, the “Eskwela Kooperatiba” was also launched by INHS to assist learners who are having difficulty in acquiring gadgets for online learning.