Teachers hit missing learning materials at DepEd Mt Province

By Gina Dizon

SAGADA, Mountain Province -- Learning materials in indigenous peoples education specially written by teachers of Sagada are missing at the Learning Resource Management and Development System (LRMDS) unit of the Mountain Province Division of the Dept. of Education.

During a training conducted by Tebtebba Foundation here attended by indigenous peoples education coordinators of Sagada from elementary and secondary high schools, educators said learning materials they wrote were missing  at the LRMDS  and nowhere to be found.  

Only one learning material of IPED content written by teacher Naty Camareg of Bangaan Elementary School was found at the LRMDS unit as noted when this writer visited the LRMDS recently.

Camareg said learning materials were submitted two years ago.

Most of the learning materials found at the Mt Province DedEd LRMDS were done by teachers of  Bauko,Tadian, Bontoc, Sadanga and eastern Mt Province.

During said training, it was also brought out that research works done by four researcher-teachers- Jocelyn Caipas, Marlyn Anaban, Tan-ayen Pecdasen, Naty Camareg and local researcher -Gina Dizon did not include their names in a manuscript found at said LRMDS.

It was noted that the front page of the manuscript credited “teacher-researchers,” but there was no mention of who these teacher researchers were.

Said manuscript on the historical profile of Sagada as researched, organized and edited was submitted to then education supervisor Irene Angway and edited again by retired teacher Agnes Kollin with a preface from Irene Angway.

It was learned in previous IPED meetings teacher researchers from other municipalities also complained their submitted research works did not include their names in similar IPED documents respective of their own municipalities found at the LRMDS. 

Said research entitled IPED History Research in the 10 municipalities of Mountain Province was part of activities of Australia funded Philippine Response to Indigenous and Mindanao Exchange (PRIME) in 2014.  

PRIME was done in partnership with the Dept. of Education with budget P880 million (A$20 million) from 2011 to 2014 aimed to help address learning needs of indigenous and Muslim school children. 

Of the total fund was a P1 million fund budget for Mountain Province-Dep Ed in 2014.  

Then DepEd supervisor Irene Angway acted as coordinator for Mountain Province-PRIME.

Angway is now Assistant Division Superintendent of Mt Province DepEd. 

Through PRIME, Australia  aimed to assist DepEd develop learning materials, train teachers and adapt the curriculum to make teaching and learning culturally sensitive and relevant to indigenous and Muslim school children.

Publication of IPED materials was noted as a need during said Tebteba training so intent of IPED would reach school children and students. 

Angway said during the training there is still budget left for publication of researched material in question. 

Said researched material did not find print since it was done in 2014. 

Jocelyn Samidad, officer in charge at the LRMDS- Dep Ed Mt Province said that all learning materials submitted at the LRDMS were considered final.

The DepEd considers research and publications as basis for promotions where a teachers’ works count much in one’s stepping up the ladder to being considered Teacher 2 from a Teacher 1 position or Teacher 3 on to supervisory level and as superintendent.