DIPOLOG CITY (PIA) – Aiming to recognize and reward employees, superintendents, teachers, and school heads for their invaluable contribution to the workforce, government operations, and organization productivity, the Department of Education (DepEd)-Dipolog City Schools’ Division held their annual Program on Awards and Incentives for Service Excellence (PRAISE) ceremony on December 11 and 12 at Top Plaza Hotel, this city.
DepEd Dipolog City Schools Division teachers talk amongst each other during DepEd-Dipolog’s PRAISE Awards 2023
Aside from highlighting top performers in their division, the event also promoted resilient leadership rooted in DepEd’s MATATAG Agenda through a seminar held on the morning of Dec. 11.
Through the said seminar, participants fostered a resilient mindset with regards to positive contributions to the education landscape.
A refresher on the code of conduct and ethical standards for public officials and employees conducted by Atty. Ma. Cecille Bastasa-Tanaga was also included in the said seminar.
Other segments of the event emphasized adaptability, determination, and courage instrumental in equipping participants with a holistic perspective in navigating their calling as public educators.
Leila A. Ala-al, an Indigenous Peoples Program Teacher from Kepiyanan Elementary School and one of the 21 awardees of the Featured Teacher Award shared that despite her struggles being the only subject teacher for 5 years in one of the farthest rural schools in the division, she stayed because her love for teaching has inspired her to give her students what they need.
“I stay in that school to teach them, to help them and extend more effort and bring innovation to them,” she added.
Joselito Tizon, principal of Zamboanga del Norte national High, also took the opportunity to assure participants that the Department of Education is doing its best to provide students with high quality education.
Zamboanga del Norte National High School Principal, Mr. Joselito Tizon, assures attendees that better learning outcomes are coming through collaborations with with stakeholders during the PRAISE Awards press conference (IRA/PIA-GIP)
“We in the Department of Education, we have strong linkages with the different stakeholders, be it in the internal and external. We believe that partnership with them will help us eradicate if not alleviate the problem that we are facing now based on the result of the PISA where the Philippines lagged behind those 80 countries they tested,” he said.
It can be recalled that earlier in the month, the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) released its 2023 results wherein the Philippines did not perform well.
Principal Tizon highlighted that the teachers in their division are products of the upscaling and rescaling of DepEd, bringing in hope of improved student performance and results.
He even expressed their goal of maybe, in the near future, having Filipino students top the said exam.
This year’s DepEd Praise Awards had 17 categories with 38 nominees along with 21 Featured Teacher Awardees and 20 Service Awardees, all of which were awarded on the 12th of December. (RVC/EDT/PJF/PIA9-Zamboanga del Norte)
