Manila gov’t to provide gadgets for students, teachers for DepEd’s ‘blended learning’

Manila City Mayor Isko Moreno. INQUIRER.net file photo / Noy Morcoso

MANILA, Philippines — The local government of Manila has allotted a total of P994 million in order for teachers and students to adapt to the Department of Education’s (DepEd) proposal of “blended learning” for the upcoming school year.

With this, a total of 110,000 tablets will be distributed to the city’s Kinder to Grade 12 public school students, while 11,000 laptops will be given to the city’s 10,300 public school teachers, Manila Mayor Isko Moreno said in a public address on Friday.

“Bibili tayo ng 110,000 na tablet para sa mga batang Maynila. Walang [gastos] na ang mga magulang,” Moreno said.

(We will buy 110,000 tablets for the children of Manila. Parents don’t have to spend anything.)

“Ma’am, sir, mga teacher, wag kayong mag-alala. May laptop kayong lahat. Bibili tayo ng 11,000 para sa lahat,” he later said.

(Ma’am sir, to the teachers, you don’t need to worry, you all have laptops. We will buy 11,000 laptops for all of you.)

Moreno added that the local government will also provide internet connectivity for both students and teachers.

“Nais kong ipabatid sa inyo, yung 110,000 lahat yun may sim card, lahat ‘yun buwan-buwan may load na 10 gigabite [data],” the mayor said.

(I want to tell you that all 110,000 tablets will have sim cards, and every month it will be loaded with 10 gigabite data.)

“Mga teacher, ‘wag kayong mag-alala. Bibili tayo ng Wifi connector… ng pocket Wifi, tapos may load din ‘yun. Nire-refill  (sic) natin every month. Kaya wala ring [gastos] yung mga teacher natin,” he added.

(To the teachers, you don’t need to worry. We will buy Wifi connector… pocket Wifi and that will be loaded too. That will be loaded every month. That’s why our teachers won’t have to spend anything too.

The DepEd previously proposed the “blended learning” scheme, where learning modules will be delivered to students’ homes and to utilize television, radio, and the internet as media of instruction, as the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) threat rages on.

President Rodrigo Duterte backed the agency’s plan, saying that he will look for funding should the DepEd need it.

Opening of classes is slated for August 24 this year, while “remote enrollment” started on June 1.

Palace spokesperson Harry Roque said that no face-to-face learning shall be allowed due to the coronavirus threat, unless a vaccine for the disease has been developed.

JPV