Bicol schools utilize radio for distance learning after typhoons’ onslaught

An aerial view shows destroyed buildings with ripped off roofs after super Typhoon Goni hit the town of Tabaco, Albay province, south of Manila on November 1, 2020. (Photo by Charism SAYAT / AFP)

MANILA, Philippines — Several public schools in the Bicol Region have maximized radio-based instruction (RBI) as they move forward with the current school year after experiencing the brunt of recent typhoons.

Officials from the Department of Education (DepEd) in Bicol said that schools have banked on radio usage after recent typhoons brought damage to self-learning modules.

“Ang RBI ay magsu-supplement sa modular distance learning na masyadong naapektuhan ng mga kalamidad na nagdaan, maraming modules and nabasa at nasira. Sa pamamagitan nito ay masisigurado ang pag-abot ng patuloy na edukasyon sa mga mag-aaral,” said School Division of Tabaco City in Albay’s Superintendent Socorro Dela Rosa, as quoted Wednesday in a DepEd statement.

(The RBI will just supplement the modular distance learning that has been greatly affected with past typhoons with many modules damaged. With RBI, we can certify that students will still receive their education)

Apart from Tabaco City, Sorsogon City also utilized RBI for its convenience especially in times of calamities where learning modules were damaged by the typhoons.

“Mas malalaman ng komunidad ang nangyayari sa ating mga paaralan. Mga on-the-air school activities na pwede gawin ng learners even in the comforts of their houses,” School Division of Sorsogon City Superintendent Willie Gando said, as quoted in the same statement.

(The community will be more aware of how the school functions. There are also activities that learners can do from the comfort of their houses.)

“Even if tapos na yung pandemic, kitang-kita natin na ang ganitong modality is going to stay even after the pandemic, with all the benefits na pwede pang ma-derived. Tulad ng information dissemination sa community at further instruction sa mga bata, ang mga activities sa klase ay maipagpapatuloy parin,” Gando added.

(The RBI mode of learning will stay even after the pandemic because of the benefits it provides such as information dissemination in the communities and further instruction to the students. Class activities will continue)

Among the radio programs being utilized by schools in the Bicol Region are “Polangui Radyo Eskwela” in Albay and “Radyo Eskwela” in Sorsogon.

In light of this, DepEd Undersecretary Alain Del Pascua noted that distance learning is not limited to modular learning as the continuity plan offers more modalities.

“Sa ating mga teacher, sa ating mga principal at sa ating mga estudyante, huwag lang module ang ating tignan. Ang module po ay isang bahagi lang. Nandiyan ang radyo, TV, internet at cellphone. Gamitin po natin lahat para tayo ay matuto at gamitin natin lahat sa pagtuturo,” said Usec. Pascua.

(I advise teachers, principals, and students to not only look to modules for lessons as it is only one tool. Let’s use radio, tv, internet, and cellphones to learn and to teach.)

According to DepEd, damage to learning materials due to the recent typhoons amount to P560 million. — Miggy Dumlao, Trainee

EDV