To: Undersecretaries
Assistant Secretaries
Bureau Directors
Regional Directors
Schools Superintendents
Heads of Private Elementary and Secondary Schools
Chiefs of Offices

1. As a participating agency of the Philippine Population Program, the DECS has pledged its commitment to strengthen and revitalize the Population Education Program. Said commitment was made last February 22, 1996 during the POPCOM Board Meeting in the presence of His Excellency, President Fidel V. Ramos.
2. Accordingly, the DECS is committed to provide a relevant population education program that still ensure:
   1. Proper information dissemination on population matters;
   2. appropriate supervision and guidance of the sexual behavior of young adults; and
   3. close coordination with media and other institu-tions that affect perceptions, behaviors and attitudes of children, youth and adults on popula¬tion concerns.
3. To operationalize this commitment:
   1. The DECS shall revitalize the population education curriculum in accordance with global, national and local demands of the time. All textbooks shall therefore reflect the core messages and key concepts of the poped curriculum.
   2. All teachers shall receive adequate and relevant training on the teaching of population education.
   3. The DECS monitoring and evaluation scheme shall include the poped program concerns in all testing, monitoring and evaluation activities.
   4. The DECS shall establish/maintain a coordinating network among agencies with population-related concerns.
4. To expedite the process of operationalizing this pledged commitment, all regional and other DECS offices are enjoined to collaborate with the Commission on Population, the Commission on Higher Education, and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority on population education-related programs and concerns.
5. Likewise, all regional and divisional DECS offices are requested to designate a Poped Coordinator in their areas of responsibility by accomplishing the attached Designation Form and sending said form back to the Population Education Program, UL Complex, Pasig City on or before June 30, 1996. The implementing guidelines are inclosed.
6. For immediate action and compliance.

Incl.: As stated
Reference: DECS Order: No. 62, s. 1994
Allotment: 1-2-4—(M.O. 1-87)

To be indicated in the Perpetual Index under the following subjects:
BUREAUS & OFFICES
PROGRAMS
POPULATION EDUCATION
TEACHERS

DO_s1996_036