Palarong Pambansa set for 2023 comeback, introduces Pre-National Qualifying Meet

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The Department of Education (DepEd) announced the conduct of the 2023 Palarong Pambansa from July 29 to August 5, 2023 in Marikina City, nearly three years since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic forced its cancellation.

The local government unit (LGU) of Marikina City, DepEd-National Capital Region (NCR) Office, and the Schools Division Office (SDO) of Marikina City are set to host this year’s edition of the scholastic multi-sport competition.

According to DepEd Memorandum No. 5, s. 2023 or the Conduct of the 2023 Palarong Pambansa, Division Meets and Regional Meets shall be conducted on February 6-10 and April 24-28, respectively, as recommended by the Palarong Pambansa Secretariat.

Moreover, an additional tier called the Pre-National Qualifying Meet will be introduced to lessen the number of delegations, shorten the duration of the event, and lower the expenses to be incurred—all without sacrificing the level of play.

As such, the said new level will only feature team sports such as baseball, basketball, football, futsal, sepak takraw, football, and volleyball.

Under the new tier, delegations will be clustered into four groups based on their geographical location. Cluster 1 is comprised of the Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, and Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR); Cluster 2 is CALABARZON, MIMAROPA, NCR, and Bicol Region; Cluster 3 is Western, Central, and Eastern Visayas and Zamboanga Peninsula Region; and Cluster 4 is Northern Mindanao, Davao, SOCCKSARGEN, CARAGA, and BARMM.

The top two regional delegations per cluster will then advance to the actual Palarong Pambansa event.

The modified competition format aims to prevent the disruption of classes and to observe minimum public health and safety protocols as stated in DepEd Order No. 34, s. 2022, and other relevant policies and guidelines issued.

Measurable sports such as athletics, swimming, and archery will adopt the qualifying distance, time, and points set by the Palarong Pambansa. Other sports that do not apply qualifying standards in the selection of athletes and are not identified as team sports will advance directly to the Palarong Pambansa culminating competitions.

Aside from student-athletes from the 17 DepEd regional athletic associations, Filipino athletes enrolled in recognized schools overseas will also be allowed to compete in individual sports under the banner of Philippine Schools Overseas (PSOs).

Meanwhile, a separate memorandum will soon be issued regarding the technical guidelines of all sports to be played, as provided in Section 27, Rule VI of the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act (RA) 10588 otherwise known as the Palarong Pambansa Act of 2013.

For more details on the 2023 edition of the Palarong Pambansa, please visit https://bit.ly/2023-palarong-pambansa.

DepEd vows to champion teachers' welfare, professional development

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Recognizing teachers' critical role in the education sector's success, the Department of Education (DepEd) affirmed its commitment to strengthening teachers' support and uplifting teaching quality in the country.

In her Basic Education Report 2023, Vice President and Secretary of Education Sara Z. Duterte recognized the zeal and passion of Filipino teachers, vowing to champion their welfare and professional development as part of her MATATAG: Bansang Makabata, Batang Makabansa agenda.

"Teachers are critical to the success of education. When they are supported, education quality improves," Vice President and Secretary Duterte said.

Duterte emphasized that the agency will remove the administrative task of teachers and will continuously advocate for additional benefits and address issues affecting their net-take-home pay.

"We will remove non-teaching tasks and provide administrative officers in schools. We will provide adequate manpower complement in schools, manage teachers' workload, and compensate teachers for unique school challenges," VP-Sec. Duterte said.

"We will continuously advocate for additional benefits for our teachers. We will work towards addressing issues affecting the net-take-home pay of teachers," she added.

The Education chief also said that the agency would implement a policy on the distribution of workload and payment for teaching overload.

DepEd will also request the Department of Budget and Management the expansion of the coverage of Special Hardship Allowances, and closely coordinate with the GSIS for an improved benefits package for all the personnel.

Furthermore, DepEd commits to elevating teaching approaches and standards by following the Philippine Professional Standards for Teachers (PPST) and capacitating them in utilizing and maximizing the benefits of digital and remote learning.

"We will continuously provide professional development programs, including graduate degree scholarship programs to teachers focusing on their learning area specialization and graduate certificate programs for nonmajors," VP-Sec. Duterte noted.

The Department will likewise fast-track the career progression policy and strictly implement the Merit Selection Policy to avoid any intervention in appointing personnel to vacant positions.

“We also recognize your sacrifices. We thank you for your sacrifices. Maraming salamat po sa inyong dedikasyon. Hindi po namin kayo pababayaan,” VP-Sec. Duterte ended.

Looking for the sweetest Valentine? SM Supermalls’ gotchu!

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Whether you’re single but not going solo, in a committed relationship, or just happy and in love with the fam, SM Supermalls will give you the sweetest Valentine’s Day ever!


SM Supermalls has got a slew of activities coming up for you from February 1 to 14. So if you are looking for ways to celebrate the sweetest valentine, look no further because SM Supermalls’ gotchu!


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Make room for Sweet Vibes only!

Everyone deserves a special someone who can take good IG photos. But if you don’t have one, it’s A-ok. You can grab your friends and capture the love at the Sweet Beats Stage or at the V-day installations that will surely make this year's heart's day extra memorable for you.


Kiss and Treat at the furry kissing booth

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Nothing says "sweet valentine's day" like shopping, dining, and getting entertained at SM Supermalls. So come and celebrate the sweetest Valentine’s at your favorite SM mall!


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