The Department of Education (DepEd) gathered a star-studded lineup as trainers for the teacher-broadcasters who will appear in its educational TV.
“Education is everyone’s business, we are so pleased, and we are so touched with the degree of cooperation, assistance, and advice which we have been getting and which we are considering very, very seriously,” said Secretary Leonor Briones.
Veteran broadcast journalist Luchi Cruz-Valdez will serve as the Senior Trainer and Advisor together with anchor-host Paolo Bediones as Lead Trainer.
Other notable personalities who will participate in the training include Kara David, Sandra Aguinaldo, Abner Mercado, Atom Araullo, Jacque Manabat, and MJ Marfori.
They are also joined by grooming coach Issa Litton, voice master Pocholo Gonzales, and educational content creator and motivational speaker Lyqa Maravilla.
“We are very fortunate to have the decades of combined broadcast and hosting experience of multi-awarded broadcast journalists, and television and radio personalities from the country’s biggest networks for the DepEd TV,” said Undersecretary Alain Pascua.
DepEd’s Teacher-Broadcaster Training Program will help equip and empower its select Teacher-Broadcaster candidates to be effective presenters on television, and also allow them to deeply understand the elements of video production by allowing them to discover the roles of Associate Producer, Videographer, Editor, Graphic Artist, and Production Coordinator throughout the program.
Pascua said that the training of teacher-broadcasters started with sessions at the University of the Philippines in Diliman and Los Banos which have been arranged by the Curriculum and Instruction strand of Undersecretary Diosdado San Antonio, particularly thru Director Leila Arreola of the Bureau of Learning Delivery.
With the support of the Presidential Communications Operations Office led by Secretary Martin Andanar, DepEd said that the training workshops with Bediones and Cruz-Valdez were made possible.
In addition to the training, DepEd is also planning to build broadcast-ready studios nationwide to cover all Division Offices. Currently, 16 areas are already preparing for this, including Ilocos Norte, Lanao del Norte, Pangasinan, Zamboanga, Palawan, and Davao.
For many of the participants, being part of the DepEd TV is a dream come true. “I have always dreamed of becoming a broadcaster,” said Carlo Palma, a teacher from Pangasinan.
For 46-year old teacher Mary Antonette Magtanong, it is an opportunity of a lifetime. “I never imagined that at my age, I will still be able to reach my dream,” she said.
Information and Communications Technology Service Director Abram Abanil said that by Oct. 5, the target is to be able to produce 130 episodes per week. These 130 episodes cover only the major subject areas under the most essential learning competencies.
DepEd is set to have its final test broadcast on Sept. 21 to 25, 2020 via IBC-13 and other partner networks, not only to test all technical matters, but also to evaluate the final contents, designs, themes, templates and all other matters that will make DepEd TV successful and interesting.
Pascua said that DepEd is also finalizing its partnerships with other providers. “We hope to have the signing of agreements by next week,” he explained.
Apart from the other available learning modes, Pascua underscores the importance of DepEd TV in helping reach more learners and reiterated the importance of the support of the national government and external partners in the success of the program.