THE Department of Education's (DepEd) Cotabato City Division, along with schools from 63 villages in North Cotabato, are now under the Ministry of Basic, Higher and Technical Education of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (MBHTE-Barmm).
This, as the DepEd officially transferred Monday, December 28, the management and integration of the Cotabato City Division and the schools in 63 villages in North Cotabato.
The Cotabato City Division covers 83 schools that include 43 public, 39 private and one state university with 2,195 teaching personnel, while the North Cotabato covers 103 schools, which comprised of 85 elementary and 18 secondary schools, 2,380 personnel.
DepEd-Soccssksargen Director Allan Farnazo represented DepEd Secretary Leonor Briones in the turnover of documents to MBHTE Minister Mohagher Iqbal during a ceremony held at Shariff Kabunsuan Cultural Complex, the Barmm Government Center in Cotabato City.
"I have no doubt that we [MBHTE and DepEd] will have a rich and fruitful partnership. We will be working together and be considering the national interest as well as the historical, cultural, and distinct identity of Barmm expressed in its system of education," Briones said through a video message.
Briones said the educational environment of Barmm is going to be a subsystem of national government's educational system characterized by synergy and interconnection.
"This is indeed a very happy day. Today's ceremony is a day not just of a transition but also of integration, unity, and peace," Briones said during the ceremony.
Meanwhile, Iqbal assured in his acceptance speech that the ministry will observe the principles of moral governance toward improving public performance, delivery of education services, and reducing gaps in the Barmm education sector.
Barmm Chief Minister Ahod Balawag Ebrahim underscored that "there is nothing to be afraid of, and the strongest asset the people can get from this entire process is collaboration."
The MBHTE also distributed kits to the teachers during the turnover ceremony. (SunStar Zamboanga)