DepEd-GenSan opens assistance center for school opening

GENERAL SANTOS CITY -- The Department of Education (DepEd) here has activated an assistance center that will cater to concerns from residents, in line with the formal opening of classes in public schools on June 3.

Dr. Mario Bermudez, assistant superintendent of DepEd city division, said the move is part of the nationwide rollout starting Monday, May 27, until June 12 of the Oplan Balik Eskwela as set under DepEd Memorandum No. 29, series of 2019.

Bermudez said they established the Oplan Balik Eskswela Information and Action Center to ensure that all public schools within the city will be ready for the school opening.

The city has a total of 68 elementary and 26 secondary and senior high schools in 14 school districts within its 26 barangays.

"It will be lesson one, on day one. So we also want to ensure that all learners will be back in our schools come June 3," said Bermudez in an interview over local television show Magandang Umaga South Central Mindanao.

He said all public schools in the city are mandated to finalize and post at the designated classrooms within the week the list of enrolled learners.

They will also address other "simple problems" related to the opening of classes, such as the records and documents of returning learners and transferees, he said.

As of Monday, the official said their assessment showed that locals are already 80 percent prepared for the school opening. That means that eight of every 10 classrooms in the city are now ready and the preparations for the remaining one to two classrooms will be completed within the week, he explained.

Bermudez attributed the accomplishment to the overwhelming response from local stakeholders in last week's annual Brigada Eskwela or National Schools Maintenance Week.

Citing their monitoring, he said the number of volunteers and donations from various sectors increased significantly this year "because of better awareness and our heightened advocacy."  

"Last year, we generated around PHP65 million worth of support and we are expecting a bigger figure in this year's Brigada Eskwela," he added. (PNA)