SDS goes on Lakbay-Aral for proposed Sports Academy

Schools Division Superintendent Estrelita S. Cunanan and some division key officials have recently visited Tacloban City (Leyte) and Silay City (Negros Occidental) to benchmark special programs for sports and the arts in relation to the proposed establishment of a Sports Academy in Tarlac Province.

                Sponsored by First District Representative Carlos “Charlie” Cojuangco of Tarlac and coordinated by his staff, the lakbay-aral activity aimed to find out best practices in implementing Leyte’s sports development program and Silay City’s special program for the arts.  

With Superintendent Cunanan are School Governance and Operations Division (SGOD) Chief Victor O. Santos Jr., Tarlac National High School (TNHS) Principal IV Yolanda Gonzales and Head Teacher VI Agnes Canlas. They went to Tacloban City in Leyte Province for the benchmarking of their Sports Academy.

                Curriculum Implementation Division (CID) Chief Paulino D. De Pano was joined by EPSVr I Bobby P. Caoagdan of the Learning Resources Management and Development Center (LRMDC) and English EPSvr I Joel S. Guileb for the benchmarking in Doña Montserrat Lopez Memorial High School in Silay City, Negros Occidental.    

Caoagdan and Guileb were assigned by SDS Cunanan to draft the concept paper of a Sports Academy to be established at TNHS, which is at the heart of Tarlac Province.

            “In Tacloban City, strong local government support and partnership with the Department of Education became the key to the establishment and maintenance of the Sports Academy,” pointed out SDS Cunanan.

The academy whose operations and maintenance is funded by the provincial government of Leyte provides expert coaching and sports facilities of international standards to about 70 scholars who are trained in individual sports events. Schools under the Department of Education take charge of the academic training of the scholar-athletes.

                 “We found out that a customized class schedule was designed for the scholar-athletes wherein they will attend their classes for their academic subjects from 9:00 a.m. to 4 p.m.,” revealed TNHS Principal IV Gonzales.

She also pointed out that the scholar-athletes, who are housed in a dormitory, undergo regular training in their chosen sports events early morning and after classes in the afternoon.

              In Silay City, CID Chief De Pano visited Doña Montserat Lopez Memorial High School, one of the country’s pilot schools in the implementation of the Senior High School Program under the K to 12 Basic Education Curriculum.

                “Similar with the Sports Academy in Leyte, a dynamic partnership with government and non-government organizations and the school was the key to the successful pilot implementation of the Senior High School Program,” cited De Pano.  

                  De Pano, based on the interviews conducted with the department heads of the school, said that the school, with a student population of around 4,900, has to seek the assistance of higher education institutions (HEIs), technical-vocational schools and the Technical Skills Development Authority (TESDA) for development of tech-voc curriculum in each specialization.

                NGOs and high-ranking government officials poured in donations for the construction and provisions of tech-voc buildings, science buildings and classrooms for their Special Program for the Arts (SPA). Local businesses and industries are also very accommodating of their students who undergo work immersion since the school conducts orientation to the proprietors.

                  “One practice that may be adopted by our schools is that of having ‘visiting teachers’ to share their expertise in their specializations,” pointed out EPSvr I Caoagdan who also serves as the division’s Senior High School focal person.

DMLMHS hires “visiting teachers” who are local and professional practitioners in the arts. Their honoraria are paid by from the city’s Special Education Fund.

                    Community-based programs wherein SPA students apply what they have learned school. Students organize groups in their communities and conduct trainings in the arts.