PASIG CITY -- The Department of Education (DepEd) MIMAROPA Region, through the Curriculum and Learning Management Division (CLMD), trained about 691 parents, guardians, PTA Officials, and teachers from Schools Divisions of Palawan, Puerto Princesa City, and Calapan City to be effective life coaches of learners at home in a virtual webinar on October 16.

The “Cluster 1 Regional Virtual Training on Parents as Learning Facilitators and Life Coaches: Education Delivery during the Times of Crisis and Beyond” aims to recognize the crucial role of parents and other partners as life coaches during this pandemic and help them identify some practical strategies in making their homes a haven for teaching and learning activities.

Regional Director Dr. Nicolas T. Capulong noted that the parents are the major key player in the household even before the pandemic, but in this time of crisis their support and assistance are even more emphasized. 

“We can only do so much, but with your help dear parents, teachers, PTA officials, and community leaders, we can build a castle for your children,” he said.

Meanwhile, OIC-ARD Atty. Suzette T. Gannaban Medina appealed to the parents to avoid seeing the current situation as a drawback for the education of their children, but to view it as “a great learning curve for everyone.”

Parent participant Claire Cordero also shared a handy advice to other parents, “Mahalaga ang pakikinig sa sinasabi ng ating anak, kapag may mga suggestion or question sila, pakinggan at bigyan natin sila ng magandang sagot at bigyan sila ng time para ipaliwanag ang mga bagay na gusto nilang alamin.”

CLMD Chief Mariflor B. Musa fervently hoped that this Orientation-Training will become useful to every parent, and they embrace all the learnings that they got from the activity.

“[Sana] ay magagamit at maiiugnay sa tunay na buhay upang masiguro na ang edukasyon ng ating kabataan ay magiging maayos at kapaki- pakinabang,” Musa said.

Livestreamed in the Facebook Pages of DepEd MIMAROPA Region, DepEd Philippines, and 7 SDOs, the training garnered more than 84,000 views, shared more than 1,500 times, and received more than 8,000 comments mostly from parents and guardians all over the country. (DepEd)