BACOLOD CITY, October 17, 2018 – In order to harmonize and reinforce reforms on basic education through the implementation of its various policies and programs, the Department of Education (DepEd) – Planning Service (PS) gathered the education planning officers and research specialists from the Central, Regional, and Schools Division Offices for the 2018 National Planning Conference (NPC) at L’Fisher Hotel in Bacolod City, Negros Occidental from October 17 to 19.

With the theme, “Achieving Basic Education Goals through Harmonized Policies and Programs, and Results-Based Participatory Planning,” the 2018 NPC is aimed at orienting participants on the new and upcoming policies and systems in the Department; deepening their understanding of the results-based planning, management, and monitoring and evaluation (M&E); and engaging all governance levels in the discussion of pressing issues and challenges to better improve the delivery of quality, accessible, relevant, and liberating basic education for the Filipino learners.

The 2018 NPC is likewise anchored on the strategic directions set in the previous planning conferences including the alignment of processes and systems on strategic and operational planning, policy development, data management, research management, and M&E in 2016; and the evidence-based planning through research and innovations in 2017.

This year, the conference features plenary sessions and roundtable discussions on the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals; the Philippine Development Plan 2017-2022; the proposed merit-based promotion and other human resource updates; education budget performance and delivery updates; the future of digital education; and updates on curriculum and instruction, procurement policy and implementation, and legal service, to be presented by members of the DepEd Executive Committee.

On behalf of DepEd Secretary Leonor Magtolis Briones, Undersecretary and Chief of Staff Nepomuceno Malaluan acknowledged the crucial role of planning officers and research specialists in achieving the Department’s goals and objectives: “This is practically the body that is responsible for the strategic direction of the Department of Education.”

Representatives from DepEd’s partner agencies and institutions including the Basic Education Sector Transformation (BEST)-Australia, the University of the Philippines–Los Baños, the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), and the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) will discuss risk assessment and management, data mining, results-based planning and M&E, and quality management on data collection process. Finally, DepEd–PS will present the Department’s participatory policy development process.

Additional information about the conference are contained in DepEd Memorandum No. 152, s. 2018, and https://depednpc2018.weebly.com/.

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