The Department of Education (DepEd) on Friday, Aug. 19, said that it has “nearly completed” the delivery of procured sim cards with connectivity load to field offices.
“With the support from President Duterte and our lawmakers, we were able to distribute these sim cards with connectivity load,” Education Secretary Leonor Briones said.
The distribution of sim cards is part of the government’s assistance for teachers and education frontliners under the Bayanihan 2 Act. “We are already 96 percent in terms of delivering additional communication allowance for our teachers and personnel,” Briones said.
“This is a welcome development as we continue our preparations in ensuring learning continuity for the upcoming school year,” she added.
Based on the delivery report status, DepEd said that 222 out of 230 Regional Offices (RO) and division Offices (DO) have “received sim cards for their personnel.”
Meanwhile, DepEd noted that the supplies for Dinagat Island (CARAGA), Manila (NCR), Batanes (Region II), Lanao del Norte (Region X), and DepEd Region XII Office are “all in transit.”
Citing data on the distribution and actual usage report as of Aug. 2, DepEd said that 235,645 sim cards were being used while other regions and divisions will soon update the sim cards' distribution, activation, and actual usage.
“All sim cards will be activated with an initial 34GB load, consumable for one year,” DepEd said.
DepEd reminded that teaching and non-teaching personnel must fill out the Online Registration Form at https://depedconnect.com.ph before picking up the sim card.
This, DepEd said, will also ensure that the sim card will be allocated with another load for the second month.
Meanwhile, DepEd Undersecretary for Administration Alain Del Pascua explained that the delivery of sim cards “will ensure the ease in communication and unhampered delivery of services in education in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Based on the Memorandum released by the Office of the Undersecretary for Administration (OUA) on July 1, permanent, contractual, and local government unit-paid personnel working under DepEd schools and offices are “eligible to receive sim cards.”
The distribution of sim cards to eligible DepEd personnel is part of the efforts spearheaded by the Information and Communications Technology Service headed by Director Abram Abanil, under the Administration Strand led by Pascua and Assistant Secretary Salvador Malana III.
DepEd said that this is also part of the Public Schools of the Future (PSOF) Framework of the Administration Strand under the leadership Briones.