THE Department of Education (DepEd) signed on Wednesday, January 13, 2021, a memorandum of agreement with Nestle Philippines for the development of P120 million worth of online learning modules and educational kits on health and wellness.
DepEd Undersecretary Diosdado San Antonio said both learners and teachers are “highly encouraged” to use the modules and educational kits that Nestle Philippines will provide.
“We believe these modules can help deepen understanding relative to the value of physical health and nutrition,” San Antonio said during the virtual press conference following the signing ceremony.
The modules will be uploaded on DepEd Commons, an online platform that provides access to learning materials and resources.
Nestle Philippines chairman and CEO Kais Marzouki said the modules form part of the company’s contribution to efforts to improve quality of life in the country by providing quality education, among others.
He said the modules will strengthen Nestle’s support for the implementation of distance learning modalities under DepEd’s Basic Education Learning Continuity Plan (BE-LCP).
“This MOA reflects how Nestlé Philippines has intensified its partnership with the DepEd by sponsoring over P120 million worth of online modules and physical educational and nutrition kits for this school year,” Marzouki said.
“We hope to be able to support the teachers, students and parents as they too, level up to adopt a new way of learning,” he added.
Marzouki signed the agreement together with DepEd Secretary Leonor Briones.
Briones, for her part, noted that health and education are closely related.
“We all know that an unhealthy child cannot learn as much as a healthy and well-fed child,” she said.
She said Nestle’s initiative supports DepEd’s mission of delivering quality education amidst the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic.
“We always welcome assistance that gives importance to the health of our stakeholders and their well-being, and we look forward to more engagements like this as we believe that it will take a nation to educate a child,” Briones said.
Under the agreement, Nestlé Philippines brings together experts to collaborate under the Nestlé Wellness Campus program with Milo and Bear Brand Fortified brands to create modules based on the DepEd’s most essential learning competencies (MELCs).
In addition to preparing modules on healthy habits for children including solid waste management, Nestlé Wellness Campus also produced a Dancercise video.
Sports instructional videos were also created in collaboration with Milo and their established sports partners to encourage students to stay active.
A Nestlé Wellness Campus Facebook group for public school teachers will also be launched. (Marites Villamor-Ilano / SunStar Philippines)