Hundreds of volunteers gathered in various public schools nationwide as the Department of Education launched the annual “Brigada Eskwela” yesterday.
Education Secretary Leonor Briones kicked off the National Schools Maintenance Week at the Ramon Duterte Memorial National High School in Cebu City.
Briones underscored the importance of collective action in uplifting the country’s education system.
“In my day, it was only our teachers who supervised the cleaning of classrooms. All of us, the students, sweep and scrub out our desks,” Briones recalled.
“Now, with Brigada Eskwela, we enjoin private partners, the LGUs, other government agencies, parents, and other stakeholders to take part in preparing our schools for the opening of classes,” she said.
Briones noted that the “Brigada” is “the core of community engagement – working together for a bright future, because education is not just the business of DepEd alone, it is a community effort.”
With the theme “Isang DepEd, Isang Pamayanan, Isang Bayanihan para sa Handa at Ligtas na Paaralan,” Brigada Eskwela consists of activities from May 15 to 20 that exhibit the spirit of shared community responsibility in providing quality basic education for all Filipino learners.
DepEd officials led various regional launches of the Brigada.
In the National Capital Region, Undersecretary Annalyn Sevilla led the clean up at the Kapitbahayan Elementary School in Navotas City.
Sevilla, along with other DepEd officials, helped the teachers, parents, and students – as well as other volunteers – do minor repairs and clean up as well as beautification efforts like painting used armed chairs and walls.
(Ina Hernando Malipot)