In celebration of the annual Literacy Week as stipulated in Presidential Proclamation No. 239 entitled “Declaring the Period from September 2 to 8 of Every Year as Literacy Week,” the Department of Education (DepEd), through the Literacy Coordinating Council (LCC), in cooperation and coordination with other government organizations (GOs), local government units (LGUs), private organizations (POs) and non-government organizations (NGOs), will hold the 2011 National Literacy Conference with the theme “Pursuing Community Development through Peace Literacy” at the Imperial Palace Suites, Quezon City on September 27-29, 2011.

This is in line with priority agenda of the United Nations Literacy Decade (UNLD) for Calendar Year (CY) 2011-2012, which is Literacy and Peace.

The objectives of the conference are to:

a. raise awareness on literacy for peace and sustainable future among the participants;

b. share good practices on peace literacy for good governance;

c. reflect on peace situations and identify appropriate strategies and community intervention; and

d. develop Peace and Literacy Action Agenda: Programs, Projects and Activities for Community Development.

The following participants are expected to attend the conference on official business:

a. bureau, center, and regional directors or their representatives; bureau/regional chiefs and assistant chiefs; and  regional supervisors of the Alternative Learning System (ALS) and Formal Education;

b. schools division/city superintendents and assistant superintendents, division supervisors of ALS and Formal Education, district supervisors and principals/head teachers of elementary and secondary public and private schools, ALS coordinators and mobile teachers especially those from 5th and 6th class municipalities/districts and provinces included in the thirty (30) focused barangays with lowest literacy rates;

c. officers of government agencies with extension programs involving literacy or continuing education;

d. heads and members of non-government organizations (NGOs) and civil society organizations involved in universalizing literacy in every region.

e. heads of local government units (LGUs), barangay chairpersons and kagawad members, barangayhealth workers, and other officers involved in the universalization of literacy;

f. heads of private/corporate foundations with interest in education or literacy; and

g. heads and members of academic institutions particularly those in-charge of National Service Training Program–Literacy Training Service (NSTP–LTS).

One of the highlights of the conference is the presentation of the National Literacy Hall of Fame Awardto Tagum City for being three-time first place winner in the Outstanding Local Government Unit (Component City Level) category in the National Literacy Awards. Tagum City is also an awardee in the UNESCO International Literacy Prizes 2011 for its exemplary accomplishments in literacy development through peace literacy.

It is requested that the list/names of participants be sent to Dr. Norma L. Salcedo, Head, LCC Secretariat at Room 413, 4th Floor Mabini Building, DepEd Complex, Meralco Avenue, Pasig City through telefax no. (02) 631–0590 or send the list through e-mail address: lcc@lcc.deped.gov.ph not later than September 10, 2011.

For more information, please contact the LCC Secretariat at telephone nos. (02) 631–05–79, (02) 631–0567, and (02) 635–9996.

DepEd Memorandum No. 182, s. 2011