Daniela Adelaide Jaimeleen Sol C. Dizon

The Department of Education (DepEd) convened with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) on November 13 to strengthen educational initiatives in the country, particularly the Supreme Court ruling that transitions Sulu from the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) back to DepEd supervision.

Photo Courtesy of UNICEF Philippines.

The meeting was led by education secretary Sonny Angara, where DepEd sought UNICEF’s expertise. 

It aims to address the challenges in education delivery while ensuring that students in the province receive quality education during the transition. 

They also want to solidify the reintegration of Sulu into DepEd’s authority.

Discussions centered on joint education interventions aligned with DepEd’s strategic goals, including the Five-Point Agenda and the Basic Education Development Plan (BEDP) 2030. 

These plans prioritize improving early childhood education, enhancing basic academic skills, and supporting out-of-school youth and adults (OSYA).

UNICEF promised to support DepEd operationally and technically during the reintegration process. 

To guarantee that Sulu's educational institutions fulfill national standards—this involves carrying out needs assessments, training initiatives, and resource mobilization.

The implementation of digital solutions into the Philippine educational system was one of the main subjects covered in the meeting. 

Secretary Angara suggested utilizing the newest technology to enhance curriculum delivery, data management, and teacher performance evaluations.

 In order to improve decision-making and guarantee that DepEd's resources are allocated where they are most needed, he emphasized the significance of utilizing data-driven analytics.

UNICEF, which has a great deal of expertise using digital tools in institutions across the globe, stated that it is willing to work with others on these projects.

To fully utilize digital technologies, the organization also emphasized the necessity of administrators and teachers developing their capacity.

UNICEF underlined the importance of enhancing school connectivity through the Giga project in the aftermath of recent typhoons that disrupted learning in many locations. 

The goal of this international initiative is to map and link schools without internet connectivity so that instruction can continue even in the event of an emergency.

At the end of the discussion, everyone pledged to build a resilient, inclusive, and future-ready educational system.

UNICEF and DepEd decided to form a collaborative task force to supervise the execution of respective projects. 

This also displays DepEd’s commitment to inclusive education for Filipino learners, with the support of international partners like UNICEF.