WELCOME REMARKS 2: Umalohokan Para sa Kaalaman, Kalikasan at Kinabukasan

WELCOME REMARKS

Umalohokan Para sa Kaalaman, Kalikasan at Kinabukasan

April 13, 2025

Magandang araw po sa inyong lahat!

Let me start by asking you: Bakit ka nandito ngayon?

Anong paniniwala, anong layunin, o anong pangarap ang nagdala sa’yo sa workshop na ito?

Are you here because you believe in the power of truth?

Because you care about our environment?

Or maybe because you want to be part of a future that’s worth fighting for?

If you answered yes to even one of those—then you are exactly where you need to be.pp ppl p

Welcome to Umalohokan Para sa Kaalaman, Kalikasan at Kinabukasan—isang pagtitipon para sa mga katulad mong handang magsalita, makinig, at kumilos. Pero teka—kilala mo ba kung sino ang mga Umalohokan?

Sila ang sinaunang tagapagbalita—ang mga boses ng bayan. Hindi sila takot magsabi ng totoo. Hindi sila natutulog sa mga isyung may kinalaman sa kinabukasan ng kanilang komunidad.

So now I ask you:

Handa ka na bang maging Umalohokan ng makabagong panahon?

Handa ka na bang gamitin ang boses mo para sa tama, para sa totoo, at para sa kinabukasan?

This workshop isn’t just about sharing knowledge.

It’s about asking the hard questions:

Ano ang papel ko sa pagtatanggol ng kalikasan?

Paano ko lalabanan ang disimpormasyon?

Paano ko mabibigyang saysay ang aking kwento para sa kapakanan ng nakararami?

Throughout this day, I hope you ask yourself:

"Am I listening just to understand, or am I preparing to make a difference?"

Let’s be honest—mahirap ang laban. Pero sa totoo lang, sino pa ba ang aasahan kung hindi tayo?

So let’s rise—with courage, with compassion, and with conviction.

Magtanong. Makinig. Magbahagi.

Because sometimes, asking the right question is the beginning of real change.

Are you ready?

Then let the voices of today become the movement of tomorrow.

Welcome, mga kapwa Umalohokan.

Let’s make this day powerful, meaningful, and unforgettable.

Maraming salamat, at mabuhay tayong lahat!

A Nation's Future on the Line: DepEd’s Call for a Collective Voice in Shaping the Strengthened Senior High School Curriculum

Wazzup Pilipinas!?

In a pivotal move that may redefine the educational journey of millions of Filipino learners, the Department of Education (DepEd) is opening the doors of reform to the public. Through an online public consultation launched from April 4 to 11, 2025, the nation is being called upon to take an active role in shaping the future of the Senior High School (SHS) curriculum—a core pillar of the country’s education system.

This bold and transparent initiative, made under the banner of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s administration’s education reform agenda, is not merely a policy update. It is a rallying cry for teachers, students, parents, industry leaders, and the public to weigh in on the very backbone of how we educate and equip the youth of tomorrow.

From Policy to Purpose: Why This Matters

Education is often heralded as the great equalizer—a means to uplift individuals and entire communities. But for too long, the SHS curriculum has been challenged by misalignments with labor demands, redundancy in core subjects, and inefficiencies in skill development. The newly proposed Strengthened SHS Curriculum seeks to change all that.

This is not just about reducing subjects or restructuring tracks. It’s about recalibrating the system to serve its purpose: nurturing critical thinkers, competent professionals, and compassionate citizens.

The Core of the Reform: Less is More, Depth Over Breadth

One of the most significant changes is the reduction of core subjects. From a cumbersome 15 per semester, students in Grade 11 will now focus on just five for the entire year. These include:

Effective Communication

Life Skills

General Mathematics

General Science

Pag-aaral ng Kasaysayan at Lipunang Pilipino

This streamlined approach aims to cultivate deep, lasting competencies instead of overwhelming learners with a volume of fragmented knowledge. With more time allocated for mastery, students will have the space to understand, apply, and internalize lessons critical to real-life contexts.

Two Tracks, Infinite Possibilities

Gone are the days of a cluttered selection of tracks. The SHS program will now revolve around two clear pathways: Academic and TechPro (Technical-Professional). While arts and sports electives remain, they now fall under the Academic umbrella, simplifying the structure while still honoring diverse interests.

Electives will also be more flexible—organized into clusters that allow students to mix and match subjects regardless of their strand. This introduces a fresh dynamic: no more being boxed in. Instead, learners can craft a more personalized academic experience suited to their career aspirations and individual strengths.

Doorways to the Future: A System That Follows the Learner

Perhaps the most empowering reform is the introduction of the “doorway option”—a system that lets students select electives based on their desired exit pathways, whether toward higher education, employment, entrepreneurship, or middle-level skills development.

This makes the educational journey not just a conveyor belt of requirements, but a meaningful pursuit shaped by a learner’s goals and purpose.

A Shared Responsibility: Your Voice Matters

What sets this reform apart is not just its scope, but its inclusivity. DepEd is making it clear: curriculum reform is not a job for policymakers alone. It is a collective mission. Everyone—from the classroom teacher in Baguio to the parent in Basilan, the industry leader in Cebu to the student in Davao—has a stake in this transformation.

And now, everyone has a platform to speak.

The draft Curriculum Guides, consultation packet, and platform are all available online for easy access:

Consultation Platform: https://bit.ly/SHSPublicConsultationPlatform

Consultation Packet: https://tinyurl.com/SHS-Consultation-Packet-PDF

Curriculum Guides: https://bit.ly/SHS-Curriculum-Guide

From Dialogue to Legacy

More than 2,000 voices have already been heard in regional consultations from January to February 2025. But this is just the beginning. The final curriculum will only be as effective as the breadth and depth of the feedback it receives.

In this defining moment, the Department of Education isn't just asking for opinions. It is asking for participation. It is asking for ownership. It is inviting us all to be co-authors of a future where the Filipino learner is no longer left behind—but is ahead, ready, and thriving.

Will you answer the call?

Because the future of Philippine education isn’t written in classrooms alone—it is written in the hearts, minds, and voices of an engaged and empowered nation.

New teacher licensure policy seen to boost DepEd workforce, improve quality of instruction

Wazzup Pilipinas!?

In line with the vision of Bagong Pilipinas, the Department of Education (DepEd) is poised to strengthen its teaching workforce and improve the quality of classroom instruction with the signing of a joint policy by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) that aligns the Licensure Examination for Professional Teachers (LEPT) with the updated teacher education curriculum.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who earlier directed the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM II) to propose and support urgent solutions to licensing gaps while awaiting legislative reforms, lauded the policy as a timely intervention.

“We are aligning our systems to ensure the Licensure Examination reflects the actual competencies needed in classrooms today—whether in early childhood education, special needs education, or the many subjects taught in high schools across the country,” the President said.

Signed at Malacañang, the joint memorandum circular (JMC) introduces specialized licensure examinations for specific degree programs in teacher education. These include Bachelor of Early Childhood Education (BECEd), Bachelor of Special Needs Education (BSNEd), Bachelor of Technical-Vocational Teacher Education (BTVTEd), Bachelor of Physical Education (BPEd), and Bachelor of Culture and Arts Education (BCAEd).

The policy aims to ensure that graduates are assessed based on the competencies they developed in their chosen specialization, thus producing more classroom-ready professionals.

For DepEd, the largest employer of teachers in the country, this development is expected to have far-reaching benefits. Education Secretary Sonny Angara, who serves as Chairperson of the Teacher Education Council (TEC), emphasized the importance of linking teacher preparation, licensure, and deployment to ensure quality education in every corner of the country.

“Our schools are only as good as our teachers. They are the heart and soul of our system. It is up to us to ensure that our learners get the very best quality of teaching. With this agreement, we are taking concrete steps toward building a better quality of education for the country,” Angara said.

The policy is seen to address long-standing teacher shortages in specialized learning areas which would allow DepEd to recruit teachers whose licenses and training match the actual demands in public schools.

“This JMC has the potential of addressing drawbacks in teacher supply, particularly in early childhood education and technical-vocational education in senior high schools, as graduates will be encouraged to take these programs in our teacher education institutions,” TEC Executive Director Dr. Jennie Jocson said.

With graduates assessed through examinations tailored to their field of study, DepEd can ensure that teaching assignments better match a teacher’s expertise, a critical factor in improving instructional quality and learning outcomes across the basic education system.

The policy was crafted by TEC with support from EDCOM II, and signed by CHED Chairperson J. Prospero De Vera III and PRC Chairperson Atty. Charito Zamora. PRC is expected to begin phased implementation of the new licensure tracks in the September 2025 examination cycle.

The initiative is part of a broader effort to professionalize and modernize the teaching profession, with the ultimate goal of delivering better learning experiences and outcomes for Filipino students.