The Department of Education (DepEd) on Wednesday, June 23, celebrated its 123rd founding anniversary.
Instituted on June 23, 1898, DepEd commemorates its founding anniversary celebration this year anchored on theme “Bayanihan para sa Edukasyon.”
Education Secretary Leonor Briones led the commemoration by recognizing the role of teaching and non-teaching personnel, parents, stakeholders, partners, and the community in their continuous efforts to improve the quality of education amidst the challenges of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.
Briones also thanked the Filipino people for their assistance to continuously improve education in the country.
“Thank you very much for all your contributions,” Briones said. “Thank you very much for the advice, for the good words of praise, and for the wonderful pieces of advice that the citizens of this country have given to the Department of Education as to how we will even better or improve the levels of our services,” she added.
Briones explained that the impact of COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the spirit of “Bayanihan” within the department through the support of parents, of teachers, personnel, partner stakeholders, local and national government officials as “we move forward as what we hopefully describe a new normal, the better normal, or the best normal where COVID could have been conquered.”
DepEd, she added, is also looking forward to the future. “If the present is so bad, there is always a future to look forward to. The future of digitalization. The future of teaching our children more knowledge. The future of preserving our environment. And the future of creating a better life for each and every member of the Philippine community,” she added.
During the kick off ceremony on June 21, DepEd officials, teachers, and learners thanking stakeholders and the community also gave out messages for assisting the department in its mission.
Undersecretary for Planning Service, Human Resources, and Organizational Development Jesus Mateo noted that the collaboration of internal and external stakeholders help made education possible this time of the pandemic.
“Our Department remains true to its mission of providing inclusive and quality education program for all learners and we cannot proceed to the implementation of Basic Education Learning Continuity Plan without the uniting support of both our internal and external stakeholders,” Mateo said.
“Therefore, I want to commend the unifying spirit of Bayanihan among our officials, our partner agencies, our hard working teachers and employees, and most especially our learners and their families,” he added.
Other stakeholders like Marco Paolo Victoriano, a teacher-broadcaster from Calumpit National High School in Bulacan, also expressed his gratitude to the DepEd for its programs and initiatives.