THE Department of Education (DepEd) will soon release permits for the lumad schools to operate after the education department received documents for the renewal of 25 Salugpungan ta TanuIgkanugon Community Learning Center (STTILC).
Jenilito Atillo, DepEd-Davao information officer, in a media conference last Friday at the Department of Education Regional office, said they received papers from the Department of Education Central Office Indigenous Peoples Education Office (IPSEO) and that they will issue the permits as soon as possible for the 25 SSTIC schools.
“Last June 18, 2015, we have received a voluminous document coming from the central office, specifically gikan sa DepEd (IPSEO). Nakadawat sila aning mga dokumento niadtong April 13, 2015. Pero nadawat sa DepEd IPSEO niatong June 3, 2015. Gibaba nila diri sa amoa kagabii nadawat namo 6:01 pm June 18, 2015 (This was received on April 13, 2015 but DepEd IPSEO only marked it received it on June 3, 2015. We got it on June 18 at 6:01 p.m.),” Atillo said.
Atillo said that this is the document they are waiting for to issue permits and other allegations are not true.
“Kini man lang among ginahulat nga dokumento wala man ta nakig connive ni bisan kinsa para i-brand sila or i-tag sila as red schools, wala man ta nag-ingon nga gipasara sila or eskwelahan sila sa komunista, ang atong issue lang gayud sa ila kay wala sila ka-renew sa ilang permit (This is what we were waiting for, we did connive with anybody to brand or tag them as red schools, we did not say to close them or that they are school of communists our issue about them is that they did not renew their permit),” Atillo said.
He also said that they would pursue the issuance of permits as soon as possible and they have to bend some rules.
“Now that we have received the documents, we are bending a little in our regulation since DepEd Order No. 21 Series of 2014 says applications filed outside said period may not be included for consideration the regional office for the same year,” he said.
Atillo also said that the two months delay of the passing the document from the central office to the IPSEO is just too little compared to their seven months delay of the SSTILC schools to pass the documents.
He added that their reconsideration of the application should already send the message that the school administration should follow the regulations to get a permit.
Atillo also said that the main good reasons for the acceptance of these applications are centered on the children who are rallying outside their office and who knocked at the hearts of the department to open their schools.
“We want the children out there to return to school. We want them to continue schooling that is why we are saying to the Salugpungan, Mindanao Interfaith Services Foundation, and the SILDAP, those who were issued nonrenewal of permits, we are seriously considering now that we will be providing them with their needed permit to operate in the current year school year 2015-2016,” he said.
Atillo said that DepEd will send teachers to the area and they will be tasked to handle multi-grade systems, combination systems, and integrated class systems. The first batch of the 22 teachers to be deployed is expected to be in the area on June 29.