More than 150 educators from nine Schools Divisions in Central Mindanao participated in a #DLPinAction webinar on the Smart-backed CVIF-Dynamic Learning Program (CVIF-DLP) crisis-resilient education strategy.  This forms part of Smart’s education initiatives, and are among the key pillars of the company’s recently launched campaign, Live Smarter for a Better World. 

With the endorsement of former DepEd 12 Regional Director Francis Cesar B. Bringas, the virtual forum aimed to orient Curriculum Chiefs, Program Supervisors, District Heads and learning resource evaluators on how the independent learning methodology can help strengthen the implementation of the region’s Basic Education-Learning Continuity Plan.   

DepEd Sarangani’s Assistant Schools Division Superintendent Nerissa Alfafara spoke at the forum to encourage fellow educators to learn more about the innovative teaching strategy, which was developed by Ramon Magsaysay laureates and world-renowned Theoretical Physicists, Dr. Christopher Bernido and Dr. Ma. Victoria Carpio-Bernido of the Central Visayan Institute Foundation (CVIF) in Jagna, Bohol.  

“When I was introduced to CVIF-DLP and its Learning Activity Sheets (CVIF-DLP LAS), I had my apprehensions as well. However, when we conducted a series of monitoring activities, I came to appreciate the program and the benefits we gained from implementing it. It is a way to unburden the teachers and for the learners to transition with relative ease to the new normal in education,” she explained.  

As the first implementer of CVIF-DLP in the region, selected teachers from the Schools Division of Sarangani shared their experiences in the development of CVIF-DLP LAS and how they integrated it to the learning modalities that the division adapted. “We have been implementing CVIF-DLP for IP Education and Arabic Language and Islamic Values Education since 2017, but we appreciated more its value more when we opened the school year 2020-2021 at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic,” DepED Sarangani CID Chief Donna Panes said.  

Panes shared how they encountered difficulties during the first quarter before using CVIF-DLP LAS on the next grading period. “We developed and reproduced CVIF-DLP LAS for Kinder to Senior High School and made it a supplemental learning material to the other learning modalities adapted by the Division, which are LR on WHEeLS and Radio-based Instructions.  During our monitoring, learners and parents attest that the workload is more manageable while still ensuring that the most essential learning competencies are in all the materials that are distributed to the students,” she narrated.  

Cotabato City Schools Division Superintendent Concepcion Balawag said she became interested in CVIF-DLP upon reading the report of CID Chief Panes and understanding how it addressed the challenges of the teaching and learning process in the new normal. “If I were a student learning at home by myself, the CVIF-DLP LAS would not overwhelm me.  The concept of a lesson is explained in simpler terms and the learning targets are broken down into smaller tasks so that I could do on my own with less or no supervision. Through the accomplished learning resource materials, the teacher can assess the level of understanding of each student and can therefore become more precise in developing learning materials and interventions specific to the needs of the learners,” she detailed.

“We are grateful for the support we received from the Division of Sarangani and their partner, Smart,” Balawag added. Along with various units of its parent company PLDT Inc., Smart has been supporting CVIF-DLP by rolling out on-ground and virtual workshops on it for over a decade. Selected beneficiaries of its flagship LearnSmart program, School-in-a-Bag, are also trained on the independent learning strategy. These efforts are based on the group’s commitment to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDG), particularly UNSDG #4: Quality Education.  

Smart intends to inspire Filipinos to commit to sustainable actions with lasting, positive impact to society.