Bacalan NHS and Sta. Fe NHS of Ipil, Titay District, Sibugay Division were the pre-identified recipients of the 533 tablets ADB-Funded Project for Last Mile School-Junior High School learners of which 244 from Bacalan NHS and 289 from Sta. Fe NHS.

Sibugay is one and the only division in the entire Region IX with two school recipients. This project is in response to the call brought by the pandemic as we continuously deliver the basic education services to all the learners.

Series of orientations were conducted on the overview, objectives, use, and monitoring to the Project Focal Person, subject area supervisors for English, Math and Science, Public Schools District Supervisors concerned, Division ITO, School IT coordinators, School Heads, and teachers of the three major subjects mentioned.

Meantime, the installation of solar energy panel, internet connections, and other amenities required to run the project were completed. The schools are waiting for the formal turn over of the tablets to the learners to be conducted virtually by DepEd Central Office. However, informal turn-over of tablets to the schools were done last March 10, 2022, witnessed by the DepEd division officials for the schools to start the inspection of the items one by one and subsequently submit the inspection and acceptance report to the central office.

As soon as the tablets will be formally turned-over to the grades 7 to 10 students of these two schools, they shall temporarily shift from distance learning - modular approach to technology-based instruction for a given period. Teachers and students will discuss the lessons and do other related and appropriate activities through the tablet. The lessons installed in the tablets are MELC-based and scholastically prepared as mentioned during the orientation. This shall be measured in terms of its effectiveness and the result shall form part of the inputs as basis of the department’s further plans for the continuous and effective delivery of basic education amidst pandemics.

Prior to its actual implementation, the baseline evaluation was conducted Last February 16-17 and 21-22, 2022. There were seven students per grade level who were involved from Bacalan NHS and Sta. Fe NHS as the treatment group and same number of students of Dionisio Lopez NHS and Villacastor NHS, all of Zamboanga Sibugay Division as the controlled group. Same students shall be involved in the mid and endline evaluation to be conducted as scheduled.

This is recognized by DepEd as one of the many projects which will contribute to the attainment of quality basic education as envisioned not just by SDO Sibugay but the entire DepEd as well. The Leadership of SDO Sibugay with SDS Jeanelyn A. Aleman, CESO VI, OIC-ASDS Aurelio A. Santisas, the Division Chiefs, Education Program Supervisors, District Supervisors, and all other officials concerned looked forward to a successful implementation of the project.