EDUCATION Secretary Sonny Angara commended Davao City National High School for the successful implementation of its Academic Recovery and Accessible Learning (ARAL) Program during a dialogue with school stakeholders on March 4, where he also led the turnover of the school’s new Electrical Installation and Maintenance (EIM) Workshop Laboratory.
The visit gathered administrators headed by Evelyn E. Magno, teachers, and students in a focus group discussion examining how national education reforms are being implemented at the school level.
Joining the Secretary were Usec. Peter Irving Covera, Regional Director Allan Farnazo, Schools Division Superintendent Reynante Solitario, and Public Schools District Supervisor John Galan, among other DepEd officials.
A key highlight of the discussion was the school’s progress in improving students’ reading proficiency through the ARAL Program, which provides targeted academic support for learners needing reinforcement in core competencies.
Angara praised the school community after learning that the program has eliminated frustration-level readers among students in both Junior and Senior High School.
“I was told the good news that there are zero non-readers or zero low-frustration readers after the full implementation of the ARAL Program… kaya ako’y very appreciative dito sa school community because you really made it work—you went above and beyond,” Angara said.
The Secretary was also impressed by the school’s monitoring of the learners’ progress, appreciating the data-based approach.
“One innovation we wanted to have is at the school level, at the granular level, meron tayong data and we monitor data over time. Dito sa Davao, you’ve imbibed that culture. Let’s continue to do that and build on whatever strengths we have and continue to perform well. I’m very pleased with the results here and I congratulate each and every one of you,” he added.
Students also participated in the dialogue, with incoming Supreme Secondary Learner Government President Ethan Josh Patal describing the opportunity to directly engage with the education chief as meaningful.
“I feel very privileged to have the opportunity to meet and actually have a meaningful discussion with the Secretary… nakakatulong talaga because it feels like we have a connection with the Secretary and that it’s not difficult to talk to him,” Patal said.
As part of the visit, Angara led the turnover and inauguration of the school’s new EIM Workshop Laboratory under Project e.LAB, a partnership initiative of Davao Light and Power Company and Aboitiz Foundation.
The facility aims to strengthen technical-vocational education by providing students with modern equipment, hands-on training, and teacher-support on top of scholarships, which are aligned with the secretary’s vision to ensure improved employability of the Filipino graduates.
The visit concluded with the conferment of the Ilaw ng Dabaw Medallion of Educational Excellence to Angara in recognition of his leadership and support for education initiatives. DEPED-DAVAO