In recognition of its educational programs amid the Covid-19 pandemic, the City of Manila was awarded with the Gawad Edukasyon for Learning Continuity Innovation Award for the Highly Urbanized City category by the Department of Education (DepEd).
The event took place on Friday morning, June 3, at the Novotel Hotel in Quezon City.
The Gawad Edukampyon for Local Governance Awards recognized cities, provinces, and institutions for "going the extra mile in developing and implementing innovative programs in support of the DepEd's learning continuity plan."
These programs and projects have made “a tremendous impact in making education accessible, relevant, and effective amidst the challenges of the pandemic.”
Manila Mayor Francisco "Isko Moreno" Domagoso received the award along with Dr. Maria Magdalena M. Lim, a Career Executive Service Officer (CESO) V, and the Schools Division Superintendent.
The award highlighted Manila's Continuity Education Plan, "Connection for Inclusion 2.0,” for its “inclusive, formative, and adaptive” approach to learning.
It focused on integrating information and communications technology (ICT) in schools through the LIFE initiative, which stands for "Laid the foundation, Institutionalize, Further development, and Expansion."
It involved centralized and uniformed automation of school forms, student registration, curricula, encoding of grading, monitoring of attendance, and the conduct of lessons for blended distanced teaching-learning schemes.
This enabled distanced learning more accessible to teachers, students, school administrators and employees.
The LIFE initiative also provided schools with complete computer desktops, accessories, and installers, along with ink tanks for 3-in-1 printers.
Assistance services for installation and training were also given to support the schools' implementation of the program.
The City of Manila allocated a total of P49,999,920 for the program or around P416,666 per school.
“Makaaasa po kayo na hindi titigil ang pamahalaang lungsod sa paghahanap ng makabagong paraan at ideya upang itaas ang antas ng edukasyon ng bawat Batang Maynila (You can trust that the local government will continue finding new ways and ideas to further increase the quality of education of our young students),” Domagoso said.
The mayor dedicated the award to the teachers and school administrators in the city for their hard work and commitment to their vocation.
Among the finalists for the category were Zamboanga City and Davao City, Davao Del Sur, led by Mayor Maria Isabelle C. Salazar, and Mayor Sara Z. Duterte respectively.
The Gawad Edukampyon for Local Governance Awards was organized by the DepEd, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), the Department of Education (DepEd), the Center for Local Governance and Professional Development Inc., the Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) Council, and REX Publication.