Pangasinan officials oppose transfer of 2 DepEd executives

LINGAYEN, Pangasinan , Philippines  – Gov. Amado Espino Jr. and the provincial board have signed a manifesto requesting President Arroyo to retain two schools division superintendents who Education Secretary Jesli Lapus reportedly ordered to be transferred for allegedly bypassing him in the production of local teachers’ guidebooks.

“I will not take that sitting down because it’s as if the provincial government is at fault because we supported it and paid for it,” Espino told local newsmen.

He was referring to the transfer of Dr. Armando Aquino and Dr. Alma Ruby Torio, schools division superintendents of Pangasinan 1 and 2, respectively.

He said the impending relief of the two officials is “grossly unfair” as they have given their best for the students’ education. 

Espino said he learned that Aquino and Torio were being reassigned merely because Lapus felt he was bypassed when the provincial government initiated a special project involving the production of teachers’ guidebooks or “course of study.”

Initially, 47,000 guidebooks were distributed last February for English, Mathematics and Science. Next to be distributed are guidebooks in Social Studies and History.

Espino said Lapus sent Dr. Ligaya Soledad Miguel, regional director of the Department of Education to see him but that he refused to talk to her “if the purpose of the talk is not in accordance with my request to have the two stay in Pangasinan.”

Aquino started the guidebook project two years ago and it was so successful that Espino adopted it province-wide.

The guidebooks were prepared in a yearlong “write shop” by schools division supervisors, principals and master teachers from the two schools divisions of Pangasinan.

Aquino said the guidebooks are handy references that minimize time for writing lesson plans, adding that they contain prepared learning activities per subject matter, thus increasing the participation of teachers and students in the learning process.

Aquino, in a letter to Miguel, explained what the “course of study” was all about, its legal bases and experiments that led to it, among other points.

Espino assured Lapus in a letter dated March 9 that the contents of the guidebooks were in accordance with what the DepEd prescribes.

He said he is disturbed that Lapus has expressed reservations and concern over this local initiative.

He said though that he welcomes any move by the DepEd to review the guidebooks.

Espino also assured Lapus that he is “completely satisfied” with the performances of Aquino and Torio.

“I am grateful for the support and cooperation that they have consistently extended to the provincial government,” he said.