A COMMITMENT IN BUILDING A MATATAG NATION

ERICKSON L. URMATAN

To set new direction of the agency and all the stakeholders to find solution in different challenges in the sector of education, the Department of Education launched the MATATAG Agenda. The MATATAG: BANSANG MAKABATA, BATANG MAKABANSA is the new battle cry of the basic education sector that will focus on how to improve the learning system of the country of the entire country. This MATATAG Agenda is composed of critical components that includes; make the curriculum relevant to produce competent and job-ready, active, and responsible citizens where the MA stands for. Secondly, the TA means to take steps to accelerate delivery of basic education facilities and services. Then, take good care of learners by promoting learner well-being, inclusive education, and a positive learning environment for the another TA, and lastly the G which means, give support to teacher to teach better. The department do believe that this will address the all the essential elements in producing a quality education for all Filipino learners. It requires stringent accountability and adequate funding for its realization. The agency is asking for collaboration of the education sector and the stakeholders as way of developing competitiveness and end the gap between slow learners and their advanced peers. Although school is the most accountable for learning outcome of learners but the stakeholders doing their share makes it more possible. Education’s problems and deficiencies must be answered of all the concerns as stated in the agenda. The department is visioning that time will come that they are able to lead, train and develop the other youth of their age to enable them to become good, productive and responsible citizen. This should be put into reality by providing them programs, activities and services that the school and stakeholders are working together. The school’s way of giving learners the concept of their importance and the role they are being played in the society enhanced their morale value. It is the school, too, where the learners are given chances of meeting new peers of their age that help in socializing and building parameters of knowledge, developing hobbies, refining them, developing social skills, learning basic etiquettes and getting skilled in multi-tasking. With all this effort of the school, the stakeholders have they part. They are of equal importance, each stakeholder in education plays an important role to increase support for educational goals. Their involvement in all the programs and projects has a positive impact for they are also visioning as the school is having. Multiplying their numbers enable the goals to have a greater chance of success that is why all the way of encouraging them to be part are being made. The school board, the learners themselves, and the parents are considered stakeholder that play a key role in the success of all the endeavors. Asides from them, anyone with interest in educational system success are stakeholders such as those that are involve directly and those that indirectly impacted like the government officials, local business leaders and volunteers. They are part of the team that works for the success of educational goals. And in additional, for the assurance of the success of the program, the department should ensure that teachers are highly qualified as what the G in the agenda states. Exceptional teachers are the very much needed in the success of the learners’ future. Teachers must possess passion for knowledge, innovativeness and technology wise in teaching of our today’s tech-minded learners. The future of the humanity now is not only in the hand of the teacher. Although teaching is the career that leaves a legacy and all the teachers are not excuse to be one among those agents working together for the realization of MATATAG Nation, the stakeholders and the department make the completeness of the components for the educational success bring into being.

-oOoThe author is Teacher III at Culiat Elementary School