Delivery of Education in the country has greatly changed because of the corona virus 2019 pandemic. In order to protect the health of learners and educators, teaching had to be performed remotely with use of modular and digital platforms.

In a statement on May 8, 2020 by the Education Secretary Leonor M. Briones said that the basic Education-Learning Continuity Plan (BE-LCP) is the Department of Education’s major response and commitment in protecting the health, safety and well-being of the learners, teachers and personnel. She added that education must continue under the health protocols set by the Department of Health and world Health Organization. The IATF approved the BE-LCP to ensure that learning progresses among students despite the absence of face-to-face classes due to the threat of COVID-19

With these, every school has crafted School BE-LCP in response to the call of the department. All teachers conducted survey to the parents as to their best choice of modality. Options were provided to parents as to how their school children can continue their studies but learning through printed and digital modules emerged as the most preferred distance learning method by most of the parents. Several recommendations were gathered. But since internet connection is the main problem in some places, MODULAR DISTANCE LEARNING was then born.

In one year of modular implementation, different effects were being noticed. Good or bad, the Department of Education has never run out of unlimited interventions to make the programs successful. Expertise of school leaders was being tested. Unstoppable and unexpected scenarios were frequent. Everything came clashing. Scarcity of resources and diversity of learning needs in implementing distance learning became more crucial and the firmness of school leaders’ decision making became more essential. With all of that the school became more careful in giving solution to the chasing circumstances daily. And as a school head of a big school, the process of implementation of the BE-LCP was quite hard but when you have the immense love  to serve and make a difference to the life of your learners and a community as a whole, together with the different supportive stakeholders, everything will be easier and definitely fulfilling. Buenasuerte Integrated School invigorated the excitement of implementing modular distance learning when we decided to identify the causes of the problems and proposed solutions, do some  financial budgeting in order to  provide 1:1 printing materials to our teachers, include bridging the gap to our learners who need intensive assistance and uphold the burning of passion of teachers and school head to implement the program for the welfare of the young Filipino learners. Every action we made was always aligned to achieving the desired goal of the DepEd mission and vision. Today even the country is still at the state of emergency health crisis; our school has always been ready. Resources for making of SLMs for modular Distance Learning were enough through the back to back provision of Division Office and school MOOE, teachers were equipped through the different webinars and seminars provided by the department and stakeholders are prepared to face whatever challenges come across this coming years amidst COVID-19 pandemic.

Nothing is permanent in this world. This is indeed the real scenario of our situation now. Gone were the days that we heard our school children playing in our school playground, chasing each other and enjoying everything under the sun and gone were those days that we work hand in hand with our stakeholders tangibly. Today everything has changed. The school is occupied with so much silence. Activities that need the presence of stakeholders are limited. But behind the crisis still, Department of Education firmly believed that education must continue.

Pandemic has thought us a lot of things. Realization came rushing that constant change is real. With the challenges brought to us by this COVID 19 pandemic, there is one thing that remains true- the importance of stakeholders in education in this trying time. Stakeholders in education has three categories; the learners as stakeholders, family as stakeholders and school as stakeholders. How do these people act with this crisis? One of the most important things I have learned being an education leader is to deal with the stakeholders through open communication. Communication is an important part of stakeholder’s engagement and one that we should always put great care into as a school head. It is transactional and impersonal. It is a part of the bigger goal of connections. We can make great strides in engaging with them by intentionally setting our sights on what really matter. Let us focus on human connection, collaboration and relationship strength first and always. Once we do this, TRUST forms. We always remember that Relational Trust is the best currency of partnership.

When every school pivoted a virtual and modular learning environment last year, parents and family members suddenly became active in assisting their children and engaged in teaching and learning process though some of our stakeholders are also carrying anxiety and fear into this situation full of uncertainties but they managed to carry ideas and resources. The goal is, as always to create a positive atmosphere for learning and growth full hope and opportunity. The only true way to work through this, is to connect with each other in open, transparent dialogue with all stakeholders, include them in every decision making and project proposals so that everyone feels seen, heard and valued. While covid-19 has thrown us many obstacles, we can lean into the opportunities by embracing all stakeholders, including learners in rich, dynamic connection and collaboration. Let us not get tired of taking risks, fall forward and re-imagine a more caring and equitable education because I confidently and positively believe that filling the gas tank, enough momentum, TOGETHER we can maneuver small hills no matter how rough our road in achieving quality education behind COVID-19 pandemic for our school children.