LIPA CITY, BATANGAS, September 3, 2018 – Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Leonor Magtolis Briones highlighted anew the importance of instilling 21st century competencies in learners, and expressed her gratitude to all partners who make this possible during the recent program of the provincial government of Batangas held at the Inosloban-Marawoy National High School in Lipa City.

In her speech, Briones also mentioned the challenge in this fast-paced modern world: “The challenge for us now is to go beyond the robots that we are building. We need to build robots which will make life easier, will make our homes more livable, and will eliminate the opportunities for corruption in government. So we move from toys to practical solution to everyday problems. And I know that we, Filipinos, are perfectly capable of doing that with the help of various agencies.”

21st century classrooms
One of the highlights of the event was the inauguration of the country’s pilot 21st Century Learning Environment Model (CLEM) Classroom which aims to support DepEd’s K to 12 curriculum through a modern avenue which creates learning practices, human support, and physical environment to facilitate the development of the 21st century skills of both teachers and learners. This project is being implemented by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST).

Other schools in Lipa City currently equipped with a 21st CLEM classroom are Lipa City National Science High School, Bolbok National High School, Pinagtongulan National High School, and San Celestino National High School. Each school has received 26 laptops, one interactive projector and smartboard, one 3D printer, one wireless ink-tank system printer, one smart television, one visualizer/ document camera, and wireless connectivity.

Pipol Konek
The ceremonial launch for the Pipol Konek Free Public Wi-Fi, a flagship project of the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), was also held in the same event in Lipa City. The Pipol Konek provides free internet connectivity in public places all across the Philippines. It complements the implementation of the Free Public Internet Access Program mandated by Republic Act 10929 which aims to cover all public places in the country with free public internet service.

Collaborative efforts
Briones further underscored the vital role of other government and non-government organizations, and the community in providing a quality, accessible, relevant, and liberating basic education for all.

“Ang edukasyon ay hindi lamang pananagutan ng DepEd, ito ay pananagutan ng lahat ng Pilipino, ng lahat ng departamento, at ng community. Kasi kung wala ang kanilang tulong ay hindi matutupad ang pangako natin para sa edukasyon,” she concluded.

Also present at the event were DepEd Undersecretary Alain Pascua and Region IV-A Director Diosdado San Antonio, DICT Acting Secretary Eliseo Rio Jr., DOST Undersecretary Brenda Nazareth Manzano, Batangas 6th District Representative Vilma Santos-Recto, Lipa City Vice Mayor Eric Africa, National Electrification Administration representatives, and other national and local officials.

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