ILOILO City – Education stakeholders across Western Visayas are encouraged to join Brigada Eskwela or the National Schools Maintenance Week in preparation for the June 4 resumption of classes.
Brigada Eskwela in the region is from May 28 to June 2, according to Lea Belleza, regional information officer of the Department of Education (DepEd).
“We call on education stakeholders and everyone who has the heart for education and who cares for the welfare of our children, magkari kita sa aton mga eskwelahan to make the schools orderly, clean, beautiful, safe, and ready,” said Belleza.
The regional kickoff was actually held on May 25 in Negros Occidental’s Sipalay City.
This year’s Brigada Eskwela theme is Pagkakaisa Para sa Handa, Ligtas at Matatag na Paaralan Tungo sa Masaganang Kinabukasan.
In Department Memorandum 066, DepEd stated that “all DepEd regional directors and schools division superintendents shall mobilize their partnerships’ focal persons (Adopt-a-School Program / Brigada Eskwela coordinators) to ensure the effective implementation of the cleanup in all public elementary and secondary schools and to ensure involvements of the community and local stakeholders.”
Teaching personnel are entitled to earn vacation service credits arising from their active involvement in Brigada Eskwela. A complete six-day participation shall give teachers a three-day service credit entitlement.
“In Brigada, bayanihan is very much alive,” said DepEd secretary Leonor Briones in Metro Manila.
Aside from service, DepEd also welcomes donations in kind during the Brigada such as hollow blocks, cement, paint, and tools for the repair of schools.
“We witness the spirit of volunteerism in motion as Filipinos from all walks of life make quality basic education all the more possible for our learners through Brigada Eskwela,” said Briones./PN
