OVP to aid DepEd in preparing for school opening

The Office of the Vice President (OVP) has teamed up with the Department of Education (DepEd) for the week-long nationwide school maintenance program to prepare for the official start of classes on August 29.

The agencies, both headed by Vice President Sara Duterte, have partnered for the Brigada Eskwela 2023, which will be conducted from August 14 to 19.

The OVP said its ten satellite offices in Dagupan, Isabela, Region 5, Cebu, Bacolod, Tacloban, Davao, Surigao, Zamboanga, and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) will participate in the activity.

On Monday, August 14, the OVP is set to assist in the maintenance of East Central Integrated School in Dagupan; Cauayan South Central School in Isabela; Gogon Central Elementary School in Legazpi; Labagon Elementary School in Cebu; St. Francis Elementary School in Tacloban; Victoria Elementary School in Surigao; and Salum Elementary School in Zamboanga.

The Satellite Office in Davao will also help with the preparations at the Governor Vicente Duterte National High School on Tuesday, August 15.

The OVP BARMM, meanwhile, will give assistance at the Barangay Pagalamatan Elementary School on Thursday, August 17.

During the national kickoff of the 2023 Brigada Eskwela last week at the Tarlac National High School, Duterte explained that the initiative is an “appeal to the bayanihan spirit of every Filipino to help prepare our schools for the opening of classes.”

The opening of classes for the School Year 2023-2024 in all public schools nationwide will be on August 29, while private schools may opt to open classes on any day starting on the first Monday of June but not later than the last day of August.

Further, the OVP said it will conduct a tree-planting activity with selected schools nationwide to help protect the environment.

The first leg of the simultaneous tree-planting activity will be held during the celebration of National Teachers’ Day on September 5, while the second leg will be during the celebration of World Teacher’s Day on October 5. — Giselle Ombay/BM, GMA Integrated News