As the opening of classes of public schools nears, Makati City Mayor Abigail "Abby" Binay on Wednesday (September 30) demonstrated how to use of the On The Go (OTG) flash drive, a device designed for offline learning of students, at Washington Sycip Park in Legaspi Village, Makati.

Classes in public schools are set to start on October 5 amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

“The OTG flash drive is part of the Learner’s Package provided by the city to all public school students in Makati, from preschool to senior high school. It is one of the primary tools we came up with to ensure that no student will be left behind as we go through the new normal in education,” she said.

An OTG flash drive contains digitized self-directed modules and video broadcast editions dubbed DepEd-Makati VIBE. The city government said it can be used in various gadgets such as cellphones, laptops, desktop computers, ipads, tablets, and smart televisions.

Binay also presented the city’s Learning Continuity Plan (LCP) for school year 2020-2021, a product of close collaboration between the city government and the City Schools Division of Makati (DepEd-Makati). 

The Learning Continuity Plan, she said, addresses both the common and unique needs and concerns of students arising from the adoption of the blended learning approach consisting of online and modular distance learning modalities.

“The plan deals with issues such as limited access to gadgets and Internet connectivity. It contains ways and means to ensure continuous learning while keeping our students and teachers safe from COVID-19 infection,” said Binay.

“It also highlights the role of stakeholders, including teachers, parents, and barangay officials and workers, in the effective implementation of all the programs and initiatives detailed in the LCP. After all, the education of the youth is a shared responsibility which requires no less than the collective effort of all stakeholders."

Based on the profiling done by DepEd-Makati among over 78,000 public school enrollees and their parents to gauge their readiness for the school opening, 74.9 percent have cellphones which they can use for online learning. Twenty four percent had access to a laptop, tablet or ipad, television or radio, while 1.1 percent had no access to any of the said equipment.

The mayor announced earlier that the city will give public school teachers and students with a five-hour free Internet load daily, and will also distribute over 2,500 laptops to teachers this October.

Earlier this month, the city started distributing the learner’s package to parents and guardians of nearly 85,000 enrolees from preschool to senior high school in the city’s public schools. Each package contains printed modules, a parent’s journal, two washable face masks, and one OTG flash drive.

Other school supplies such as textbooks and uniforms under Project FREE (Free, Relevant, and Excellent Education) of the city government have also been distributed.