DepEd Hero KC Mangareng goes above and beyond for children in hospital care

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MAKATI CITY, 26 February 2026 – For Teacher Kristine Crisseda Mangareng, Teacher I, at Longos National High School in Malabon City, education has never been confined to the four walls of the classroom. It is, she says, rooted in compassion, service, and community.



Nearly eight years ago, on May 2, 2018—what would have been her late mother’s birthday—Teacher KC asked her then Grade 9 students to join her in a simple gift-giving activity at the National Children's Hospital. Her mother had died the year before from Stage 4 stomach cancer, and the young teacher was navigating grief and depression.

“Akala ko noon one-time event lang ‘yun,” she recalled. “May isang batang nagtanong sa akin, sabi niya, ‘Ma’am, kailan po tayo babalik?’ And that question changed my life.”



From that question grew Project Ulayaw: Above and Beyond, now a recognized non-government organization that provides emotional support, educational access, and hope to children in challenging circumstances.



The organization’s first advocacy centered on pediatric cancer patients at the National Children’s Hospital. Volunteers brought hygiene kits, school supplies, and toys; but more than material goods, they offered their presence.



“Healing is not only medical,” Teacher KC said. “It is emotional. It is human.”



As needs surfaced beyond hospital walls, Project Ulayaw expanded. Over time, the initiative evolved into four core programs.



Brave Art, launched in 2020, helps young cancer patients sell their paintings to support chemotherapy expenses.



In 2023, the group formally launched HospiEscuela in partnership with Warriors for Warriors: Your Blood, Their Lives. While the partner organization mobilizes blood donation drives, HospiEscuela ensures continuity of education for hospitalized children.



Another initiative, SandigEscuela, offers educational support to children in institutional care. Project Ulayaw also maintains partnerships with parents in Malabon raising children with cerebral palsy and rare conditions.



Recently, Teacher KC was recognized as a DepEd Hero for her tireless efforts and the impact of Project Ulayaw on children and communities.



“I’m not surprised that your students and your members succeed, because when you see people less fortunate than yourselves, you really appreciate life more and you give more. Because you realize that many are not as fortunate or have not been given the same opportunities,” Education Secretary Sonny Angara said.



“The Department is blessed to have you. Talagang tuwing may programa kaming ganito, nawawala yung pagod namin at sulit ang lahat ng sakripisyo namin dahil alam namin may katulad ninyo sa field,” Sec. Angara added.



For Teacher KC, the recognition belongs to her students, volunteers, and donors who have helped bring Project Ulayaw’s vision to life.

After Deadly Rizal Landfill Collapse, BAN Toxics Demands Action to Address Waste Crisis at the Source

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A massive trash slide struck the Rizal Provincial Sanitary Landfill (RPSL) on February 20, 2026, in Barangay San Isidro, Rodriguez, Rizal, resulting in at least one confirmed fatality and leaving two individuals missing. About 420,000 cubic meters of waste collapsed, burying three units of heavy equipment.



Environmental NGO BAN Toxics is calling for a thorough and independent investigation into the landfill collapse and a full review of the facility’s compliance with environmental and safety standards, while also urging the government to tackle waste crisis and plastic pollution at the source.



Residents and waste workers dispute the Montalban Disaster Risk Reduction Office’s report of three casualties, with witnesses fearing more were buried. Allegations also claim company marshals prioritized retrieving heavy equipment over rescuing victims and offered money to families to leave possible remains in the waste.



BAN Toxics stresses the need to verify reported deaths and injuries, provide immediate support to affected families, end the intimidation of residents and waste workers seeking accountability, and ensure full transparency to deliver justice and prevent future disasters.



RPSL is operated by International Solid Waste Integrated Management Specialist, Inc. (ISWIMS) through its subsidiary, Green Leap Solid Waste Management, Inc. ISWIMS, which also runs a landfill in San Mateo, Rizal, faced a 2024 Senate inquiry over alleged labor violations in Quezon City. RPSL waste workers, who often pay for their own protective gear, are demanding that landfill fees be used to support affected families.



“We must formalize and protect informal waste workers and scavengers, ensuring their occupational safety, rights, access to protective equipment, social protection, and compensation funds during disasters. Despite being on the frontlines of waste management and exposed to toxic chemicals, they remain neglected,” said Thony Dizon, Advocacy and Campaign Officer of BAN Toxics.



The February 20 trash slide adds to RPSL’s history of disasters, including six previous collapses, an April 2025 fire, and seasonal leachate floods. On February 24, the DENR suspended operations in the landfill’s Phase 5, which covers around six hectares.



BAN Toxics calls for a comprehensive assessment of all landfills, both private and government-owned, to ensure strict compliance with regulatory and operational standards and to protect workers and nearby communities from environmental and health hazards.



The recent disaster echoes past landfill tragedies, including the deadly collapse at Payatas in 2000, which claimed more than 200 lives and buried thousands of homes, and the January 2026 trash slide at the Binaliw Landfill in Cebu City that left 36 dead and 18 injured. Although the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000 (RA 9003) mandates waste reduction, diversion, and resource recovery, implementation has fallen short.



BAN Toxics highlighted the need for a comprehensive review of RA 9003 and its implementation. Under the law, Local Government Units (LGUs) must divert at least 25 percent of solid waste through reuse, recycling, composting, and other recovery measures, with targets increasing every three years. Yet many LGUs fail to comply, leaving large volumes of waste unsegregated, uncollected, or improperly disposed of.



The group also emphasized strengthening Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs) to reduce waste sent to landfills by improving their efficiency and increasing funding for LGUs. A 2023 Commission on Audit (COA) report indicates that only 39 percent of barangays (16,418 of 42,046) had operational MRFs in 2021.



“Government action has largely focused on managing waste after it is generated rather than on prevention, leaving reduction and reuse weakly enforced and landfill disasters recurring,” said Dizon.



“The government must instead address the waste crisis and plastic pollution at the source: prioritize waste prevention and reduction, cut reliance on plastics, especially single-use plastics, and hold producers and corporations accountable for the full lifecycle of their products,” he added.



BAN Toxics calls for ensuring that the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) law includes enforceable targets for plastic reduction and reuse, alongside promoting zero-waste strategies, single-use plastic bans, and a comprehensive Non-Environmentally Acceptable Products and Packaging (NEAPP) list covering disposable plastics—prioritizing waste prevention over expanding landfill capacity. Corporations should be required to cut plastic production and use, and shift to refill and reuse systems.



The group further warned against using recent landfill collapses to justify waste incineration or waste-to-energy projects as solutions for high-volume landfill waste, stressing that burning plastics releases toxic pollutants and poses additional environmental and health risks.



“We should invest in the effective implementation of solid waste laws and in sustainable, environmentally sound waste management, focusing on reducing waste at the source rather than relying on downstream disposal. This disaster is not an isolated event—it is a warning. Without decisive reforms centered on waste prevention, corporate accountability, and workers’ rights, communities across the country will remain at risk,” Dizon concluded.

DepEd underscores evidence-based reforms at National Basic Education School Research Congress

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TUGUEGARAO CITY, 27 February 2026 — The Department of Education (DepEd) reaffirmed its commitment to data-driven and evidence-based reforms during the National Basic Education School Research Congress held on February 27–28, 2026, at the University of Saint Louis Tuguegarao (USLT).

In his message, Education Secretary Sonny Angara emphasized the central role of research in shaping responsive and sustainable education reforms.

“Ang isang DepEd na nakikinig sa datos ay may kakayahang tukuyin nang malinaw ang mga hamon, unawain ang mga ugat nito, at kumilos tungo sa pangmatagalan at epektibong mga solusyon,” Secretary Angara said in his message delivered by DepEd Region II Director Benjamin Paragas.

The Secretary underscored that basic education reforms are guided by research and evidence, and anchored on the Department’s 5-Point Reform Agenda in line with the mandate of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.

“We are accelerating our classroom construction program, with the help of our LGUs and private partners. We are prioritizing and investing in our school-based feeding and early childhood care and development programs. We are revitalizing our curriculum to meet the demands of tomorrow and prepare our students for the future of work. We are making sure that our schools have enough learning resources and that our teachers are provided with the best support they can have,” Angara said.

“Because, as we understand in research, we can have good results—but only if we act on what evidence consistently tells us.”

The Congress, organized by the Center for Basic Education Research of USLT, gathered educators, researchers, and students from across the country to present studies aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). DepEd recognized the importance of research platforms in advancing innovation and improving program implementation in basic education.

The Department also noted how collaboration has helped bridge gaps, share resources, and champion best practices for the benefit of learners and teachers.

In closing, Secretary Angara encouraged learners and educators to continue strengthening a research-oriented mindset across schools nationwide.

“Patuloy ninyong hamunin ang nakasanayan, magsilbing ilaw sa inyong mga mag-aaral, at sama-sama nating itaas ang antas ng kalidad at kahusayan sa bawat silid-aralan sa buong kapuluan.”