Advocacy, Social Mobilization, and Partnerships

         Driven by its mission to extend a helping hand in strengthening the advocacy of literacy, the Cebuana Lhuillier Foundation, Incorporation which has been one of the reliable and longest-standing partners of the Literacy Coordinating Council—being the official benefactor of cash prizes for the Special Award of Excellence in Literacy category of the National Literacy Awards, met with the LCC Secretariat last March 22, 2023 (Wednesday) to fortify its partnership and discuss existing and future areas of collaboration.

         “We believe in multi-stakeholder collaboration to further promote inclusive education and literacy in the country, and we focus our resources on these advocacies among others,” shared Mr. Jonathan D. Batangan, Executive Director of the CLFI, during the meeting. The said meeting was attended by Mr. Michael Joseph A. Torne, Mr. Enrico R. Mendoza, and Ms. Marikka P. Mampusti.

         The LCC, being a coordinating body, puts forth on establishing meaningful and sustainable partnerships not only with government agencies but also with private organizations that relentlessly work on empowering and uplifting the lives of Filipinos through literacy. Being its main advocacy program, the National Literacy Awards underscores the importance of literacy in nation-building. It serves as an avenue for local government units and nongovernment organizations to have their best practices in literacy documented in the hopes that these will be institutionalized and replicated.

         The CLFI commits to sustaining its advocacy on education and literacy and leads the private sector to intensify the support to LCC and continue to help the Department of Education in recognizing the award-winning initiatives of all LGUs, NGOs, and Civil Society Organizations. The LCC is thrilled to further strengthen the partnership between the two parties which will manifest in the 2024 National Literacy Awards.

         More information on the existing programs of the CLFI are found at https://www.cebuanalhuillier.com/advocacies/ and other resources on literacy, specifically on financial literacy entitled Digital Iponaryo Module are found on the Partners Portal of the LCC website through the link https://lcc.deped.gov.ph/lr-partners-portal/.

          Borne out of their intention to contribute to improving the literacy situation in the country by designing a reading program called “Bawat Isa Makakabasa,” the 1986 Summerhouse Publishing, an organization with a deep sense of commitment not only to Content Development but far greater the meaning and development solutions which would carry value towards transformation and nation building, extended an opportunity to the Department of Education to implement the said reading program.

          “The “Bawat Isa Makakabasa” is a reading program that supports the call to increase the literacy rate of Filipino learners and emphasizes the significant role of education in nation-building through the establishment of public libraries and reading centers in all local government units,” Ms. Rellyn M. Nojadero-Luces, the Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of the 1986 Summerhouse Publishing shared during the meeting.

          The program is responsive to the Every Child a Reader Program (ECARP), a national program that addresses the thrust of the Department of Education (DepEd) to make every child a reader at his/her grade level. It is designed to equip elementary pupils with strategic reading and writing skills to make them independent young readers and writers; and “Hamon: Bawat Bata Bumabasa (3Bs Initiative),” as well as the Department’s flagship agenda—MATATAG: “Bansang Makabata, Batang Makabansa.”The program is designed for learners across ages and grade levels—including Indigenous Peoples Education (IPEd).

          The exploratory meeting with 1986 Summerhouse Publishing was attended to by various offices from the DepEd – Central Office, namely the Literacy Coordinating Council Secretariat, External Partnerships Service, Bureau of Learning Delivery, and Bureau of Curriculum Development to ensure that the requirements needed to facilitate the implementation of the program in full swing will be set. This objective was achieved by the 1986 Summerhouse Publishing by sharing the history, background, and goals of the publishing house, having a full demonstration of the “Bawat Isa Makakabasa” reading program, explaining the Quality Management procedures of the organization, showing a preview of the Learning Management System (LMS) platform intended for the implementation of the program, and explaining their Public-Private Partnership (PPP) program.

          The meeting ended meaningfully by identifying the ways forward to formally establish a partnership between DepEd and 1986 Summerhouse Publishing. Additionally, to ensure alignment of the program with the curriculum standards and obtain quality assurance of the resources to be used in implementing the program, technical assistance coming from the Bureau of Curriculum Development, Bureau of Learning Delivery, and Bureau of Learning Resources will be provided.

          Lastly, the Literacy Coordinating Council, through its Secretariat, commits to advocating for the program on the ground by introducing it to the local government units that have local literacy councils and are active partners of the Council in universalizing literacy in the country. The LCC, together with the DepEd, looks forward to building a partnership with organizations like 1986 Summerhouse Publishing that are eager to improve the literacy skills of Filipino learners. This goes without saying that it is the Council’s privilege to share the vision and journey to work toward the goal of universalizing literacy in the country.  

Anchored on its goal to recover lost learning so that learners can return to or enroll into education at the level that suits their age and situation, the Catch Up Project of the World Vision is designed as a community-based intervention that is responsive to learners’ needs and context. The project intends to focus on catch-up learning to support most vulnerable children who experienced disruption and need a target intervention to ‘catch-up’.

Given its already established partnership, Mr. Geomel P. Jetonzo, Brigada Pagbasa Program Director of World Vision Development Foundation together with Prof. Flora C. Arellano of the Education Network (E-Net) Philippines, met with Mr. Enrico R. Mendoza, Head of the LCC Secretariat and Ms. Marikka P. Mampusti, lead focal person for the Advocacy, Social Mobilization, and Partnerships last February 9, 2023 to beef up the implementation and widen the reach of the program with the assistance of the Literacy Coordinating Council.

The meeting covered Mr. Jetonzo’s presentation on the rationale of the program including its objectives, implementation strategy, approach, key design features. Mr. Jetonzo shared that the program serves as a first-aid solution that can be used by anyone who are interested to teach literacy in their respective communities, let it be the teachers, non-DepEd volunteers, student volunteers, and guardians of learners. One of the highlights of the meeting was the discussion of the potential areas for support of the LCC in scaling up the implementation of the program which includes increased involvement of the organization on LCC activities including its conferences, fora, and summits. LCC also commits to include the World Vision as one of its identified partners that local government units and non-government organizations can refer to should they initiate to implement a community-based literacy reading program to improve their literacy situation in the ground.

Now, more than ever, the LCC and its Secretariat reechoes its support to the Brigada Pagbasa program as it continuously works on the development of interventions that aid in lessening the learning gap through its literacy programs. Through this partnership, it is reaffirmed that it takes a village to raise a child, hence, villagers in the form of the World Vision are gladly welcome as one our allies in universalizing literacy in the country.

For local government units, nongovernment organizations, or anyone who wish to know more about the Brigada Pagbasa’s Catch Up Program (CUP), kindly visit the link: https://bit.ly/BrigadaPagbasa_CUP. Those who are interested to implement the Brigada Pagbasa CUP may reach out to the LCC Secretariat through email at lcc@deped.gov.ph to facilitate smooth coordination with the proponent organization for potential collaboration.

LCC Secretariat

After this year’s immersion of the Literacy Coordinating Council (LCC) in numerous challenging activities and engagements, the Council marked its first ever in-person awarding ceremony for the LCC Secretariat during the 2022 Gawad Gintong LIYAB. The event was conducted in conjunction with the LCC’s Year-end Assessment and Planning Workshop on December 14, 2022 at DepEd NEAP Region XI in Davao City. With the theme “Rising to the Challenge with Excellence in Service,” this recognition and appreciation rites aim to acknowledge the excellent performance of the LCC Secretariat who spent long hours of hard work and tons of sacrifices in implementing the Council’s programs, projects, and activities for Fiscal Year 2022, being able to successfully surpass all the challenges brought about by the still lingering COVID-19 virus.

Pursuant to the provisions of DepEd Order No. 9, s. 2002 titled “Establishing the Program on Awards and Incentives for Service Excellence (PRAISE) in the Department of Education,” the LCC Secretariat established its own PRAISE program for its technical and administrative personnel. On December 22, 2020, at the height of the pandemic, the first awarding ceremony for the LCC Secretariat was held via Microsoft Teams. The following year, on December 10, 2021, the LCCS staff were accorded with honor, recognition, and incentives during its virtual conduct of the 2021 Year-end Activity with the theme “Recognizing Excellence, Celebrating Wins.” These celebrations motivated the staff and provided them with a sense of accomplishment and fulfillment. These initiatives were made in order to encourage excellent performance, quality work output and productivity.

Consequently in 2022, the Five Program Pillars of the LCC was institutionalized. LIYAB stands for Likha (Policy Research and Development), Ilaw (Advocacy, Social Mobilization, and Partnerships), Yaman (Knowledge Management), Aruga (Learning and Organizational Development), and Buklod (LCC Localization), representing the 5 Key Result Areas of the Council under program management. Anent to this, the 2022 Awarding Ceremony for the LCC Secretariat was called “Gawad Gintong LIYAB.” This branding best represents the distinction bestowed to the members of the LCC Secretariat for being able to successfully achieve the annual objectives of the Council which are anchored on the 5 program pillars. From here on, the annual conduct of this PRAISE activity will be called “Gawad Gintong Liyab.”

Apart from recognizing the efforts of the Secretariat, the LCC also awarded the Council member representatives, Technical Working Group members, and resource persons for their contributions and efforts to push for the effective and efficient implementation of the Council’s programs, projects, and activities for 2022. Each of the awardees received a plaque and a certificate of recognition.

The LCC member representatives, LCC Secretariat personnel, and resource persons receive their plaques and certificates of recognition for the 2022 Gawad Gintong LIYAB.

The night, filled with excitement, laughter, and tears of joy, ended with heartwarming messages of support and inspiration of the representative speakers from each of the categories.

LCC Secretariat

19 Disyembre 2022. Pinangasiwaan ni VP-Secretary Sara Z. Duterte, Kalihim ng Kagawaran ng Edukasyon at Chairperson ng Literacy Coordinating Council (LCC) ang ika-152 pagpupulong ng LCC nitong ika-14 ng Disyembre na siyang isinagawa sa Zoom.

Pangunahing tinalakay sa pagpupulong ang napakahalagang papel na dapat gampanan ng mga lokal na pamahalaan sa pagpuksa sa illiteracy sa kani-kanilang komunidad. Hinimok ni VP Sara at ng mga ahensyang kasapi sa LCC ang mga punong lungsod at munisipalidad na agarang magtatag ng mga local literacy councils na siyang magsisilbing mekanismo sa pagtiyak na maisasagawa ang community literacy mapping, pagtukoy ng mga hindi nakapag-aral o kulang sa kasanayan at kaalaman sa literasiya, at pagbibigay ng karampatang programang pang-edukasyon, bukod sa marami pang iba.

Kasama sa mga dumalo sa pagpupulong sina Senator Sherwin T. Gatchalian ng Committee on Basic Education ng Senado, Congressman Roman T. Romulo ng Committee on Basic Education and Culture ng House of Representatives, President Bert J. Tuga ng Philippine Normal University, Director-General Ramon Cualoping III at Deputy Director-General Karl Louie B. Fajardo ng Philippine Information Agency, Dir. Girlie Grace J. Casimiro-Igtiben ng National Economic and Development Authority, at Prof. Flora C. Arellano ng Education Network Philippines na siyang kinatawan ng mga non-government organizations. Maliban sa mga nabanggit, naanyayahan din na dumalo ang ilan sa mga opisyales, direktor, at puno ng ilang opisina sa Kagawaran ng Edukasyon sa ilalim ng Curriculum and Instruction strand na pinangunahan ni Undersecretary Gina O. Gonong, Assistant Secretary G. H. S. Ambat, at Assistant Secretary Alma Ruby C. Torio.

Ibinihagi rin ni Cong. Romulo na tutukan ang paghahanap ng kaugnayan ng mga pananaliksik na ginagawa ng konseho sa resulta ng mga naisagawang local at international assessment sa literasiya na siyang nagpapakita ng kasalukuyang sitwasyon ng literasiya sa bansa. Dagdag pa ni Sen. Gatchalian, maliban sa pagpapapasa ng mga batas tungkol sa literasiya, mas mainam na tutukan ng konseho ang paglikha ng konkretong paraan upang masugpo ang mabigat na suliranin ng literasiya sa pamamagitan ng pag-mobilize ng mga lokal na pamahalaan na hanapin, turuan, at tulungan ang mga kababayan nating hirap makabasa.

Ilan pa sa tinalakay sa pagpupulong ang may kaugnayan sa pananaliksik, pagbuo ng mga polisiya, adbokasiya, at iba pang mahahalagang paksa tungkol sa pagpapalaganap ng literasiya sa bansa. Ang susunod na pagpupulong ng konseho ay magaganap sa unang quarter ng 2023.

Para sa higit pang impormasyon, pakisuyong makipag-ugnayan sa LCC Secretariat sa pamamagitan ng Facebook page nito, Literacy Coordinating Council, at e-mail sa lcc@deped.gov.ph.

#LCCMeeting #SulongEdukalidad #ParaSaLiterasiya

The Department of Education, through the Bureau of Human Resource and Organizational Development (BHROD), conducted a webinar entitled “#GADukasyon: Formulation of the Gender and Development (GAD) Plans and Budgets” on November 9-10, 2022 via Zoom. This enables the GAD Focal Persons and Coordinators to determine the appropriate content of the GAD Plans and Budget for (GPB)proper submission to the offices which will help the Central Office consolidate the agency’s centralized submission to the Gender Mainstreaming and Monitoring System (GMMS) of the Philippine Commission on Women (PCW). This will also ensure the prioritization in addressing the agency’s Audit Observation Memo and must be given importance as it will be a counterpart document in checking the GAD Accomplishment Report. This two-day online event was participated in by GAD focal persons from Schools Division Office and school, DepEd Central Office, and Regional Office.

Dr. Rowena S. Navera, National GAD Resource Pool and Vice President for Academic Affairs from the Philippine State College of Aeronautics, discussed in detail the preparation and submission of the FY 2023 GAD Plans and Budget, including the costing and attribution, process and deadline for submission.

Through this DepEd-initiated webinar on GAD, the LCC Secretariat becomes one with the Department in promoting gender and development among its staff and stakeholders through creation of related projects and activities for FY 2023.

On October 12, 2022, Mandaluyong Elementary School (MES) launched the Project Reading Exposé or Project REX, a community-based literacy program developed in support of the DepEd Schools Division Office of Mandaluyong’s MandaBasa program, implemented in partnership with the city government of Mandaluyong. Project REX is a reading literacy campaign which aims to reach out and provide appropriate literacy interventions to slow readers and non-readers aged 6 to 12 years old, initially within the community of Brgy. Poblacion. Volunteer teachers, parents, and barangay officials will work together in this initiative.

This project is an enhanced version of the Kariton Klasrum, a program MES successfully rolled out from 2015 to 2019 that made possible for many out-of-school and street children to go back to school.

The LCC Secretariat had a privilege in sharing with the program attendees the Standards for Exemplary Community-based Literacy Programs and Engagement developed by the Council in partnership with the Philippine Normal University.

May all education stakeholders continue to work together to ensure that zero illiteracy in the Philippines is achieved.

Subsequent to the successful conduct of the onsite validation of the National Literacy Awards (NLA) entries which ran from August 8 to September 23, 2022, the Literacy Coordinating Council is one step closer in bestowing honor and awards to outstanding local government units and literacy programs implemented by nongovernment organizations. This has transpired during the 151^st LCC Meeting after the council members have approved the rankings of the finalists that were carefully deliberated on by the NLA Board of Judges.

The 2022 National Literacy Awards which aims to recognize best literacy practices carried out by local government units and nongovernment organizations that help alleviate poverty, provide livelihood opportunity, address welfare needs, promote freedom, and make education facilities accessible, among others, successfully took off last March. 

Following the selection process of the Regional Offices where regional winners were declared, the LCC Secretariat and its Board of Judges have commenced with the onsite validation to the top five finalists of each category. Interviews with program managers, program partners, and beneficiaries were conducted by validating them during the opening program and onsite visits. Exit conference was also organized in each site to provide feedback and observations on the validation conducted by the Board of Judges.

Right after the conduct of the on-site validation, the Board of Judges convened last September 27, 2022, to finalize the rankings of their respective categories. The decision made was then presented to the 151^st Council Meeting with proper justification. The assigned member of each category presented and endorsed to the rankings for the approval of the Council last October 6, 2022. The rankings were then approved by the Council which makes it final and unappealable. Guided by the provision of DepEd Memorandum no. 22, s. 2022 on confidentiality, the LCC, BOJs, and the LCC Secretariat shall keep the results strictly confidential.

The LCC is set to announce the winners of the 2022 National Literacy Awards on the NLA Awarding Ceremonies which will be held in partnership with the Schools Division Office of Mandaluyong City on December 1, 2022. The LCC will duly notify the finalists of the logistical and administrative concerns in preparation for the ceremony.

During the same event, the recipients of the LCC’s Special Award of Excellence in Literacy will also be awarded. This category is in partnership with Cebuana Lhuillier Foundation, Inc.

The LCC would like to extend its heartfelt gratitude and congratulations to the finalists for making it to this part of the 2022 National Literacy Awards. 

Marikka P. Mampusti

Project Development Officer II