DEPARTMENT of Education (Deped)-Davao Regional Management Committee meeting held on September 6 in the City Of Mati, Davao Oriental featured a ceremonial turnover to officially transfer the administrative and supervisory jurisdiction of elementary and secondary schools in the municipalities of Banaybanay, Lupon, San Isidro, and Governor Generoso from the Schools Division of the City of Mati to the Schools Division of Davao Oriental.
As Division Superintendent of DepEd Davao Oriental I warmly welcome the new development as I commit to uphold standards and quality education amidst the expected increase in the scope of my division’s responsibility with the addition of four municipalities to the former six under the East Cost towns now totaling to 17 school districts
Regional Director Evelyn R. Fetalvero said that while the reversion of jurisdiction has significantly reduced the Mati City Division’s number of personnel, the DepEd regional office sees this as an opportunity for it to concentrate more on the administration and supervision of the schools within the city. It would mean better performance can be expected from the Mati City Division because of lesser personnel and lesser schools to supervise and monitor. She said that the current 1,000-strong City Division is more than enough to maintain its status even with the reduction of teachers from the four municipalities turned over to DepEd-Davao Oriental
The legal purpose of the reversion where the main purpose is to establish consistency with the pertinent Constitutional and statutory provisions, are: Republic Act (RA) No. 4867 or An Act Creating the Provinces of Davao Del Norte, Davao del Sur and Davao Oriental, Philippine Constitution 1987 which reapportioned two (2) congressional districts in the Province of Davao Oriental and Sec. 50 (a) of the Republic Act No. 9408 entitled “An Act Converting the Municipality of Mati in the Province of Davao Oriental into a Component City to be known as the City of Mati” which states; “The DepEd shall establish and maintain a city schools division of the City of Mati whose area of jurisdiction will cover all the school districts within the City of Mati.”
Also credited to the final decision was the joint resolution passed by the League of Municipalities of Davao Oriental and Vice Mayors’ League of Davao Oriental which listed foreseen potential problems not only in terms of supervision but also in the excess of supervisors in the provincial division and reduction in the city division given the inevitable reversion.
City of Mati Administrator lawyer Alejandro Aquino who represented City of Mati Mayor Michelle Rabat assured the City Division that the city government will provide support to it in terms of facilities and finances.
Governor Nelson Dayanghirang, who was represented by technical assistant Ma. Gracia Tiago, expressed his felicitations to the Davao Oriental Division, the Provincial Government, and the city and municipal mayors of Davao Oriental who were involved in the reversion saying that through the concerted efforts, the Province has proven that with commitment it can overcome many obstacles that stand in their way.
In the same way that the governor also thanked the former governor, now First District Representative Corazon N. Malanyaon who strongly pushed for the reversion of the schools which is necessary in order to establish order, clarity, and direction for the both divisions from congress to DepEd Central Office that eventually issued the said memorandum which was the basis of the turnover.
The event was graced by all functional division chiefs of the region, schools division superintendents and their assistants and the members of the secretariat with the local government officials in the province and the municipalities and congressional officials.
This corner hopes that with the change, the two divisions shall benefit from the said major change in its structure and jurisdictions and that the two division offices will work harmoniously in supporting each other.