OF REPAIRS AND REFORMS: How Panabo City is bridging literacy gaps through Brigada

Megan Louise Millan

Beyond dusty chalkboards and broken chairs, the last few weeks of summer vacation in the Philippines are dedicated to addressing the obstacles hindering the nation’s academic development. 

As a comprehensive extension of the Adopt-a-School Program established by Republic Act No. 8525, the Brigada Eskwela program is a staple initiative of the Department of Education (DepEd) that encourages stakeholders to participate in preparing public schools for the upcoming school year. Formalized through DepEd Order No. 24, s. 2008, Brigada volunteers engage in activities that encompass cleaning classrooms, landscaping, fixing broken fixtures, and other necessary repairs — igniting the Filipino culture of bayanihan and its role in ensuring schools remain safe places for students’ growth and learning. 

Held at San Vicente Elementary School, DepEd - Panabo City officially kicked off Brigada Eskwela (BE) 2025, emphasizing the crucial role of the annual program by showcasing the traditional flamboyant spirit of partnership, innovation, and communal efforts in the name of volunteerism. However, what sets this year’s launch apart from the previous years is how the Division of Panabo unveiled innovations that aim to address one of, if not the most, concerning hindrances disrupting the educational development of Filipino students — illiteracy. 

A page torn away from the chapters of learning 

Textbooks and journals turn into chapters of nonsensical discourse. Essays and articles consist of long paragraphs of senseless gibberish. For countless Filipinos across the archipelago, reading is just the act of merely skimming through sentences, and comprehension remains a challenge many are yet to overcome.

The World Bank reports that 9 out of 10 Filipino children at late primary age are not proficient in reading. Learning poverty has haunted middle and low-income countries including the Philippines, even before the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in the exacerbation of the already sorry state of the country’s public education system after more than two years of remote learning.

Despite the consistent post-pandemic changes and developments in the Philippine education system, the learning crises continue to persist in challenging the growth and learning of Filipino students. According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, 18.96 million junior and senior high school graduates in 2024 are considered to be functionally illiterate. While they are capable of reading, they experience difficulties in grasping the very meaning of what they have read. They furrow their brows in confusion and scratch their heads at the sight of reading passages, emphasizing the gravity of the educational dilemma that is yet to be solved.

These aforementioned issues intensify the extremities faced by the Philippines’ struggling academic scene, with its negative effects impacting even the international arena. Ranking as the lowest in reading comprehension among 79 participating countries in the 2022 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), Filipino students are in dire need of comprehensive programs to address the literacy gaps that harm their development.

What good will refurbished facilities and enhanced amenities bring if the developmental needs of Filipino learners continue to be vulnerable in the height of the illiteracy epidemic?

Innovative steps toward educational development

As DepEd - Panabo embarks on the annual rehabilitation of public schools, its innovative practices emphasize that Brigada Eskwela does not only concern the classrooms but its students as well. 

It is universally recognized that a child’s path to learning begins at the comfort of their own home, fueled by the commitment and guidance of their parents whose hands can make or break their journey towards holistic development. In relation to this, among the highlights of the BE 2025 kick-off event was the launching of the Nanay Reading Academy. 

The community-based literacy initiative, under the flagship balanced-reading program BASA Panabo, Panalo, is emblematic of how vital the role mothers play in mentoring their children in terms of reading. Mrs. Joann G. Cubio, a parent from San Vicente Elementary School, inspired the audience of the kick-off event as she led the Mom’s Story Corner, shedding light on the irreplaceable role of parents in nurturing children through heartwarming storytelling. By doing so, they strengthen the role of parents as children’s first teachers and shed light on how familial support positively influences the development of children’s abilities.

“When we capacitate our mothers, we strengthen the literacy foundations of our children right from the heart of their homes,” explained Division Reading Focal Iryhn E. Petalcorin as she introduced the program. 

Moreover, the showcasing of Panabo’s commitment to strengthening learning assessments was highlighted. Kenneth Licaros of Panabo City National High School demonstrated the digitized Philippine Informal Reading Inventory (PHIL-IRI). The modernized and technology-supported reading inventory system provides teachers with real-time data that allows them to assess their learners’ reading development, emphasizing the role of technology in solving illiteracy issues in the nation. 

A collaborative effort

It takes a village to raise a child, and it takes an entire community to nurture and strengthen their development. Hand-in-hand, authorities, partners, and stakeholders maximize their capabilities in pursuit of the collective goal of producing competent and literate learners. 

The kick-off program showcased the inevitably growing community of education champions, as exemplified by the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with City Savings Bank (CSB) and Sta. Ana Multipurpose Cooperative (SAMULCO). With multifarious organizations, civic groups, agencies, and private sectors contributing donations and services, the task of securing bright futures for students remains to be a collaborative effort.

Furthermore, the solidarity shown by 1st Councilor-elect and incoming Chairperson of the Education Committee JM Relampagos as he represented Hon. Mayor Jose E. Relampagos symbolized the unwavering commitment of the Panabo City Local Government Unit in fulfilling their responsibilities to the educational sector and its programs.

Assistant SDS Basilio P. Mana-ay Jr. led the pledge of commitment from various partners and stakeholders, symbolizing their steadfast determination to ignite and inspire collective action in pursuit of more literate and competent learners.

“Our collective vision is anchored on transforming lives through education, and with the strong energy of our partners, this vision continues to thrive,” said Schools Division Superintendent Jinky B. Firman as she extended her gratitude to all stakeholders whose extensive support fuels the city’s progressive initiatives, especially those concerning literacy development.

More than dusty shelves and uncleaned desks, Filipino learners face the threat of educational incompetencies that impede their progress and growth. As concerningly rising statistics of illiteracy among the youth taunts the nation, the call for strengthening innovative campaigns and heightening collaborative efforts echoes louder than ever. 

The dynamic BE kick-off that introduced DepEd - Panabo’s new comprehensive literacy initiatives shows that the communal spirit of volunteerism goes beyond wiping windows and painting chairs. It sheds light on how bayanihan can be channeled into synergetic repairs and reforms that mold literate and competent Filipino students, championing a stronger education system and a brighter future for the hope of the nation.