One of the benefits of being an Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) member is access to educational scholarships and training programs. For this purpose, the agency works closely with the Department of Education (DepEd).
The DepEd is responsible for designing and implementing policies, plans, and programs in formal and non-formal basic education. It oversees all elementary and secondary education institutions, both public and private, while also supervising alternative learning systems and education projects.
Vision, Mission, and Core Values
According to its official website, DepEd’s vision is as follows: “We dream of Filipinos who passionately love their country, and whose values and competencies enable them to realize their full potential and contribute meaningfully to building the nation.”
“As a learner-centered public institution, the Department of Education continuously improves itself to better serve its stakeholders,” the DepEd website stated.
Correspondingly, the Department’s mission is “to protect and promote the right of every Filipino to quality, equitable, culture-based, and complete basic education where:
- Students learn in a child-friendly, gender-sensitive, safe, and motivating environment;
- Teachers facilitate learning and constantly nurture every learner;
- Administrators and staff, as stewards of the institution, ensure an enabling and supporting environment for effective learning to happen;
- Family, community, and other stakeholders are actively engaged and share responsibility for developing life-long learners.”
As for its core values, the DepEd puts emphasis on being Maka-Diyos (God-fearing), Maka-tao (respectful of humankind), Makakalikasan (environmentally conscious), and Makabansa (patriotic).
Key Programs of DepEd
Among the Department’s key programs are as follows:
K to 12 Curriculum
The DepEd implements the K to 12 curriculum, which covers 13 years of education: Kindergarten, 6 years of Elementary School, 4 years of Junior High School, and 2 years of Senior High School.
Special Education (SPED) Program
Catering to learners with special needs, this program continuously seeks to enhance the quality of programs and services in elementary and secondary schools that have SPED Centers.
Madrasah Education Program
This program integrates content and competencies in the K to 12 curriculum that are relevant to Muslim learners.
Indigenous People’s Education (IPEd) Program
This program is designed for indigenous peoples, providing education that is relevant to their identity, culture, knowledge, skills, and other aspects.
Alternative Learning System (ALS)
Designed for out-of-school youth and adults, this program enables them to complete elementary and secondary schooling outside the formal basic education system.
School-Based Feeding Program (SBFP)
This program addresses short-term hunger and undernutrition by providing hot meals and milk to Kindergarten to Grade 6 learners.
Education Service Contracting Program (ESC)
This program extends financial assistance to qualified elementary school graduates who would like to pursue secondary education in a private school. Assistance is given in the form of tuition subsidy.
Senior High School Voucher Program (SHS-VP)
This program provides financial assistance to senior high school students who will enroll in private Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), state and local colleges and universities (SUCs and LUCs), and technical-vocational institutions (TVIs).
Teacher Development and Welfare
This program focuses on teachers’ professional development through the National Educators’ Academy of the Philippines (NEAP).
Contact Information: DepEd Main Office
If you have any questions or concerns, you can get in touch with the DepEd Main Office through the following contact details:
Address: 2nd Floor Department Of Education Building, Deped Meralco Avenue, Pasig, 1605 Metro Manila
Telephone: 02 8633 7228
Email: depedactioncenter@deped.gov.ph
Website: https://www.deped.gov.ph/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DepartmentOfEducation.PH/
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In coordination with DepEd, OWWA is able to facilitate basic education programs for its member-OFWs and their families. Speaking of education, one of the agency’s initiatives is the OFW Dependent Scholarship Program (ODSP). Visit this link to read all about it!