TAGBILARAN, BOHOL, October 23, 2018 – Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Leonor Magtolis Briones underscored the importance of a strong administrative support in the delivery of quality, accessible, relevant, and liberating basic education to the Filipino learners.

“Without a strong, efficient administrative system, nothing but nothing will move,” the Education chief told the approximately 230 administrative officers and officials from the central, regional, and schools division offices during the Clustered Conferences of DepEd Administrative Services, specifically for the Records Officers’ group, held at the Bohol Tropics Resort from October 22 to 24, 2018.

The series of conferences are aimed at strengthening networking, collaboration, and convergence among supply officers, cashiers, records officers, and general services employees that comprise the Department’s Administrative Service.

Preserving the past, protecting the future
Briones highlighted the significant role of Records Officers and records management in carrying out DepEd’s programs, projects, policies, and reforms.

“Without an efficient system of records – not only efficient, but quick system of records management – all those dreams of policy, of quality, of access, of liberating (education), of anti-poverty, all of these cannot be attained. Because we have to have a sense of history, a sense of knowing what happened before, and what will happen in the future,” the Education Secretary pointed out, echoing the conference’s theme, “Records Management: Preserving the Past, Providing the Present, and Protecting the Future.”

Briones also shared, as an example, the process of dealing with cases and complaints: “We can only determine whether such complaints are valid or not, by looking at the record… What happened before? Is this the only record that we have received? Is this the only communication? Have other people been writing? Are we prompt? Are we efficient? And records management determines that,” she added.

Indispensable role
After presenting DepEd’s accomplishments and milestones for the past two years, Briones likewise encouraged the Records Officers in attendance to feel proud, and to not leave their posts as they are crucial in the achievement of the Department’s goals and targets: “Lahat ng ito, lahat ng ginagawa ng departamento, ang basehan ay ang records na nanggagaling sa inyo.”

She also pointed out that the education officials who face the media and the public rely on the records that they provide. “Kung wala kayo, wala ang Department of Education,” she concluded.

Also present on the opening day of the conference were DepEd Administrative Service Director Robert Agustin, DepEd Region VII Director Juliet Jeruta, and Assistant Regional Director Salustiano Jimenez.

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