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| Education secretary Leonor Brione (middle) with Laoag mayor Chevylle V. Fariñas and Laoag division superintendent Joel Lopez. (Aceyork Guerrero) |
By Jennifer T. Pambid
Contributor
Laoag City—The city schools division office here hosted Dept. of Education Sec. Leonor M. Briones, who in turn, attended the Regional Management Committee special meeting at a hotel in the city on April 27, 2018.
DepEd regional director Alma Ruby C. Torio chaired the special meeting attended by regional education officials, division superintendents and assistant superintendents.
In her speech during the meeting, Ms. Briones congratulated Region 1 for being number one among other 17 regions in the country in terms of budget utilization.
She also shared developments in the central office pertaining to the senior high school program, kindergarten policy, ICT program and improving the overall DepEd system, among others.
“We have to rationalize the organization especially financial management. We have to enhance the accountability of our officials including those at the level of the principal,” Ms. Briones said.
The DepEd chief also advised the regional officials to “keep their faith while dealing with the demands and pressures of both internal and external factors inherent to their jobs”.
Meanwhile, Laoag division superintendent Dr. Joel B. Lopez, presented educational innovations in his schools’ division including ICT, media literacy and indigenous technology.
Ms. Briones congratulated Laoag DepEd’s ISO 9001:2015 Certification, adding that the central office is still planning to achieve such because of the large expenses and tremendous time it will entail.
She also lauded Mr. Lopez’s efforts to pioneer the use of Baybayin in the division level even before the approval of the House Bill 1022 or the proposed “National Writing System Act” just recently.
Moreover, Ms. Briones emphasized the leaders’ huge responsibility to the learners who look to them as second parents.
“I’d like to thank your devotion to the department and most especially to your devotion and commitment to the children who…one of these days, they will be ruling this country, they will be running this country and we have to do our part,” she concluded.