NEWS RELEASE|| August 25, 2026 ๐๐ถ๐๐๐ฒ๐ป๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ณ๐ฟ๐ผ๐บ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ป๐ฑ ๐จ๐ฝ: ๐๐ฒ๐ฝ๐๐ฑ ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ด๐ฎ ๐๐ฑ๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ๐ ๐๐พ๐๐ถ๐๐ ๐ง๐ต๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ด๐ต ๐๐๐ฆ๐ฆ ๐ ๐ผ๐ป๐ถ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ป๐ด
Sep 1, 2026 - 4 minutes read
CARAGA REGIONโ ๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ฒ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ฑ๐๐ฐ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป (๐๐ฒ๐ฝ๐๐ฑ) ๐๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐น ๐ข๐ณ๐ณ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฒ, ๐๐ต๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ด๐ต ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฆ๐๐ฝ๐ฝ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ ๐ฆ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐ (๐๐๐ฆ๐ฆ), ๐ถ๐ป ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐๐ป๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ฝ ๐๐ถ๐๐ต ๐๐ฒ๐ฝ๐๐ฑ ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ด๐ฎ ๐ฅ๐ฒ๐ด๐ถ๐ผ๐ป, ๐๐ฑ๐๐ฐ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ฆ๐๐ฝ๐ฝ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ ๐ฆ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ถ๐๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป (๐๐ฆ๐ฆ๐), ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐ฑ๐๐ฐ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐๐ฆ๐ฆ ๐๐พ๐๐ถ๐๐ ๐ ๐ผ๐ป๐ถ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ผ๐ป ๐๐๐ด๐๐๐ ๐ญ๐ณ-๐ฎ๐ฌ, ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฒ, ๐ฐ๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ฒ๐น๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ฐ๐ต๐ผ๐ผ๐น๐ ๐ถ๐ป ๐๐๐๐๐ฎ๐ป ๐๐ถ๐๐, ๐ฆ๐ถ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ด๐ฎ๐ผ ๐๐๐น๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ๐, ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฆ๐๐ฟ๐ถ๐ด๐ฎ๐ผ ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐น ๐ก๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐ฒ.
Under the direction of Regional Director Allan G. Farnazo, CESO III, the activity assessed the implementation of learner support programs and services, strengthened the application of the Learner Support Framework, and gathered field insights to ensure responsiveness to the diverse school contexts and needs.
๐๐ฑ๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ฐ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐พ๐๐ถ๐๐ ๐ง๐ต๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ด๐ต ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฆ๐๐ฝ๐ฝ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐บ๐ฒ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ธ
Rating System: The learner support programs were evaluated using a three-star rating system to identify good practices, gaps, and determine areas for technical assistance and improvement.
Field Validation: Engagements with school heads and personnel provided insights and constructive dialog on whether indicators are context sensitive, practical, measurable, and applicable across different types of schools and learner populations.
๐๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐น ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฅ๐ฒ๐ด๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ฎ๐น ๐ ๐ผ๐ป๐ถ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ ๐๐ผ๐ถ๐ป ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ถ๐ฒ๐น๐ฑ
The DepEd Central Office BLSS monitoring team was led by Dr. Miguel Angelo S. Mantaring, Director IV, together with Mr. Ryan Dave F. Fabreag, Technical Assistant II, Office of the Director; Mr. Peter Larin, Technical Assistant II, School Health Division; Mr. Ted D. Pinto, Technical Assistant II, Nutrition and Hygiene Unit; Ms. Millie Jane Fudolig, Senior Program Education Specialist, Learner Wellness Office; Ms. Divina D. David, PDO III, Youth Formation Division; Ms. Maria Teresa C. Sano, PDO II, Learner Rights Protection Office; and Ms. Karen Nnyell B. Fabila, Technical Assistant II, School Sports Division.
The regional monitoring efforts were also undertaken by the Education Support Services Division, headed by Dr. Edmund D. Mendoza, Chief of ESSD. He was joined by Dr. Adrilene Mae J. Castaรฑos, PDO IV, Ms. Fe M. Baring, TCE II, Mr. Giro Paolo Misael Almendralejo, PDO II; Ms. Rena Grace G. Tul id, Nutritionist Dietician II; Ms. Leah Ellen V. Yaoyao, Technical Assistant II; Mr. Charlestone A. Otaza, Technical Assistant II; and Mr. Al Jhon Fritz M. Otadoy, Technical Assistant I.
๐ฆ๐๐ข ๐๐๐๐๐ฎ๐ป ๐๐ถ๐๐: ๐๐ฒ๐ด๐ถ๐ป๐ป๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ ๐ผ๐ป๐ถ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ๐ป๐ฒ๐
The monitoring commenced in SDO Butuan City on August 17, 2026, led by Schools Division Superintendent Dr. Minerva T. Albis.
The team first visited the Butuan City Special Education Center, headed by School Head Carolyn S. Mayuga, to examine how learner support indicators capture the realities of students with special needs. The team then proceeded to Obrero Central Elementary School, headed by School Head Deborah C. Madamba, gaining deeper insight into the challenges of applying a uniform framework across standard elementary settings.
๐ฆ๐๐ข ๐ฆ๐ถ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ด๐ฎ๐ผ: ๐๐ฟ๐ถ๐ป๐ด๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ถ๐ฒ๐น๐ฑ ๐ฅ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐น๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ป๐๐ผ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐บ๐ฒ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ธ
On August 18โ19, 2026, the monitoring continued in SDO Siargao under the guidance of Superintendent Dr. Manuel O. Caberte. The team visited Atoyay National High School, headed by School Head Dante S. Dacera, and General Luna Central Elementary School, headed by School Head Ana Maria Tomasita C. Espejon. Engaging with both elementary and secondary school personnel surfaced practical considerations regarding how a centralized framework can maintain consistency while offering necessary flexibility for different community contexts.
๐ฆ๐๐ข ๐ฆ๐๐ฟ๐ถ๐ด๐ฎ๐ผ ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐น ๐ก๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐ฒ: ๐๐ผ๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ฎ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐
The field visits concluded on August 20, 2026, in SDO Surigao del Norte under the supervision of Superintendent Dr. Karen L. Galanida. The team visited Cantugas Cultural Minorities Elementary School, led by School Head Ranil D. Genite, where discussions focused on ensuring assessment indicators account for the specific needs of learners from cultural minority communities. The visit reinforced that meaningful equity requires continuous contextualization of standard policies.
๐๐ฟ๐ผ๐บ ๐ ๐ผ๐ป๐ถ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ผ ๐ ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ป๐ถ๐ป๐ด๐ณ๐๐น ๐๐ถ๐ฎ๐น๐ผ๐ด๐๐ฒ
Across the three SDOs and participating schools, the BLSS Equity Monitoring served not only as an assessment mechanism but also as a platform for dialogue among policy developers, program managers, regional implementers, and school-level practitioners.
The field engagements provided valuable perspectives on the proposed Learner Support Framework, particularly on the applicability and relevance of its indicators and determinants to actual school conditions.
These insights underscored the need for a framework that is both systematic and responsive to context, allowing field experiences to inform the refinement of indicators and monitoring mechanisms.
Ultimately, the activity affirmed that advancing equity goes beyond applying uniform standards; it requires ensuring that these standards meaningfully account for differences in learners, communities, resources, and school realities.
By: Charlestone A. Otaza
ESSD-Technical Assistant II
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For more information, contact (085) 221-1151, 0961-737-0873, or 0915-808-4734. Website: www.caraga.deped.gov.ph; email: caraga@deped.gov.ph; pau_caraga@deped.gov.ph
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