Brigada Eskwela Plus: Cleanup, repair of schools now a year-round activity

CEBU, Philippines - The Department of Education (DepEd) yesterday launched the Brigada Eskwela Plus or the National Community Involvement in Education Initiative, a program that aims to enlist the help of the community in cleaning school grounds and repairing classrooms, school furniture and other school facilities year-round.

“We at the department aim to engage the community year-round to do more for public education,” said DepEd Secretary Mona Valisno in a statement. 

In Central Visayas, DepEd-7 director Dr. Ricaredo Borgonia launched the yearly activity in Bais City, Negros Oriental.

Borgonia has encouraged principals and school heads to organize the activity in their respective schools by working with their Parent-Teacher Community Associations (PTCAs). As early as February, they recruit parent volunteers and approach local businesses for donations by March, and organize work groups by April.

Through the years, the public schools have benefited from Brigada Eskwela in terms of maintenance and other operating expenses (MOOE) amounting to billions of pesos. This year, the DepEd expects more schools to participate and generate more community MOOE.

Mrs. Victorina Japitana, principal of Talamban Elementary School said the activity encourages the volunteers to provide a little bit of materials such as paint, cement, lumber, brooms, and garbage cans to help clean and beautify the schools as well as the classrooms.

She also urged the parents and different sectors to help them and be a part of this year’s Brigada Eskwela Plus.

Since its inception in 2003, Brigada Eskwela has become a movement that has ensured the readiness of public schools for school opening. More than 7 million volunteers comprising parents, teachers, employees, local government units, alumni associations and civic organizations have joined Brigada Eskwela in 2009 alone.

Adopt-A-School program executive director Mari Paul Soriano said Brigada Eskwela Plus “is the department’s frontline initiative that believes in the role of the community in improving public education.”

“The achievements gained by Brigada Eskwela inspire us to utilize existing partnerships with the communities to get parents involved in ensuring that the schools are conducive for learning, that their children are enrolled and actually learn in school – which is the essence of Brigada Eskwela Plus. Critical to this scaled-up initiative is showing the parents the value of their children’s education,” he added.

Phase I shall tap the community to do year-round repairs of school furniture, classrooms, other physical facilities and cleaning of school grounds, with a focus on roof repairs for the coming school year.

Phase II shall enlist volunteers to help identify drop-outs and school-aged children (aged 6-16 years old) who should be in school. It also aims to urge their parents to bring them back to school in line with the Education For All goals that the country has pledged to meet by 2015.

The last phase shall contribute to the improvement of academic performance of public schoolchildren with the help of their parents and other community stakeholders.

Brigada Eskwela Plus is implemented by the department’s Adopt-A-School program national secretariat. It was launched during the incumbency of former DepEd Secretary Jesli Lapus, who, in 2008, successfully urged all 44,619 public elementary and high schools to join Brigada Eskwela.

Meanwhile, the opening of classes was moved to June 15 from June 14 as mandatory for public schools while for private schools, opening of classes will depend on their school’s administrator as long as they will complete the 203 school days.   (FREEMAN NEWS)