MATATAG: A Strategy and Commitment to Address Multiple Challenges in DepEd

To address the education sector’s multiple challenges, the DepEd developed the “MATATAG Agenda,” which would serve as the DepEd’s strategy and commitment during Duterte’s tenure. MATATAG Agenda, as the name implies, seeks to increase the ‘quality, resiliency, and wellbeing’ of educators and learners. The ideas include, among other things, revising the K-12 curriculum, providing basic education services and infrastructure, assuring inclusive education, and offering teacher training and development programs.

Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte delivered the 2023 Basic Education Report, which details inadequacies in the education system and remedies that would be implemented during her leadership. The Vice President outlined her ideas for teachers, who have been at the forefront of solving the country’s educational challenges. Provide professional development programs. Provide support in terms of innovative, responsive, and inclusive teaching approaches. Train teachers and students in using technology in remote learning. Provide training and other learning and development interventions for school leaders. Remove non-teaching tasks and provide administrative officers in schools. Fasttrack the implementation of the career progression policy, so teachers get more opportunities for promotion. Strictly implement the Merit Selection Policy, so appointments at DepEd are based on key knowledge, skills, attitude, and desired behaviors. Continuously advocate for additional benefits for teachers. Implement the policy on the distribution of teacher workload and payment of teaching overload based on the Magna Carta for Public School Teachers. Expand the coverage for the grant of Special Hardship Allowances. Address issues affecting the net-take-home pay of teachers. Provide free annual medical check-ups. In addition, the Vice President stated that they will work with the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) to provide an “enhanced and better benefits package for all DepEd personnel.”

The key challenges addressed in her speech include a lack of school infrastructure and resources, issues with student well-being, curricular issues, poor employability among senior high school graduates, insufficient training programs, and essential competencies for teachers. As of now, due to a lack of resources, K-12 learners could not keep up with the curriculum’s pace. Teachers need more time to cover all assigned learning skills. In the high school level, K-12 graduates need more information and skills for higher education and jobs, resulting in poor employability among senior high school (SHS) graduates. There needs to be a comprehensive strategy to enhance the country’s basic education conditions. Furthermore, the agency has yet to commit to raising the amount for teaching materials or providing laptop computers. Finally, no clear declaration addresses the adjustments in workloads and teacher wage increases.(