The Department of Education (DepEd)-Davao City Division said the City Government of Davao’s strong support was one of the key factors in achieving a 93.5 literacy rate last year.
Reynante Solitario, DepEd-Davao City Division Schools Division Superintendent, said in an interview that the city’s literacy rate is a strong indicator of the city’s sustained commitment to inclusive and accessible education carried out with the support and initiatives of the city government and education stakeholders.
“The city government has allocated substantial resources toward education infrastructure, teacher development, and learning materials,” he shared.
As part of its support, the city government allotted P5 Million-worth of Beginning Reading Kits Level I, and approved the proposal of procuring Active Reading Buddy that amounted to P7.5 Million.
The Special Education Fund (SEF) fund was also used in the constructions of classrooms, provision of learning tools, and support for various educational initiatives.
Solitario added that the city government, in partnership with non government organizations, played a vital role in strengthening the Alternative Learning System (ALS) in the city that reached out-of-school youth, indigenous peoples, and adult learners.
This flexible learning option significantly improved literacy levels among marginalized communities.
The City Government of Davao, through the City Library and Information Center (CLIC), also deploys its mobile libraries to public elementary schools.
These library buses are equipped with books and other learning materials, arts and crafts supplies, board games, and educational movies. One of the buses is intended to specifically deliver Emergency Preparedness lectures to raise disaster risk awareness in grade school and high school students.
The mobile ibraries also prioritize far-flung areas to ensure that people residing in geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas have access to information the same way people living near the city’s center have.
“The city’s proactive stance in supporting literacy, from early childhood to adult education, has ensured that education remains a right accessible to all Dabawenyos,” Solitario said. CIO
