Accelerating the delivery of basic education facilities and services in the time of learning recovery, the Schools Division of Calamba City launched its Highly-enhanced Library-on-Wheels (HELOW) Project to provide children access to learning materials and literacy-improving opportunities on March 16, 2023, at Eduardo Barretto Sr. Elementary School, Pansol, Calamba City.

 

Education Program Supervisor of the Learning Resource Management and Development John Carlo A. Paita highlighted that the mobile library is one of the SDO’s efforts in taking steps to accelerate the delivery of basic education services and provision of facilities aligned with DepEd’s MATATAG Agenda and DREAM Project as “this aims to reach even the remotest schools that have no access to library hubs by making library services more accessible and inclusive.” He emphasized that a considerable number of the key stage 1 learners belong to frustration level in the previous years, but at the end of the second quarter, data show that it decreased to 9,049.

In her message, OIC-SDS Gerlie Ilagan, CESO VI, expressed aspiration to involve the barangay officials and parents, together with the school heads and teachers, in the facilitation of reading sessions as “teaching children to read, write, and count is a shared responsibility of the entire community.” She encouraged the school leaders to schedule visual storytelling and reading sessions at least 30 minutes once a week in their respective schools.

 

Part of the program was the ribbon cutting and the ceremonial signing of the pledge of commitment.

Meanwhile, EPS-Kindergarten Enelyn T. Badillo facilitated a story reading for selected key stage 1 learners and gave prizes to pupils who correctly answered questions at the end of the activity.

The Division’s HELOW is set to visit other schools in the coming days.