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SURIGAO CITY, June 12, 2025 — 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗗𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗘𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 (𝗗𝗲𝗽𝗘𝗱) 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗮 𝗥𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗶𝗻 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗮𝗼 𝗖𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹𝘀 𝗗𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗲, 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗱𝗹𝘆 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗹𝗮𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱 𝗕𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗮𝗱𝗮 𝗘𝘀𝗸𝘄𝗲𝗹𝗮 𝗮𝘁 𝗦𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗮𝗼 𝗪𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗖𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗘𝗹𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹 𝗼𝗻 𝗝𝘂𝗻𝗲 𝟵, 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱, 𝟴:𝟬𝟬 𝗮.𝗺 𝘁𝗼 𝟭𝟮:𝟬𝟬 𝗻𝗻. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝗗𝗲𝗽𝗘𝗱 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗮 𝗥𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗗𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗮 𝗜𝗻𝗲𝘀 𝗖. 𝗔𝘀𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗖𝗘𝗦𝗢 𝗜𝗩, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗮𝗼 𝗖𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹𝘀 𝗗𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗼𝗳 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗹𝗼𝘂 𝗕. 𝗗𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗺𝗼.

𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗺𝗲: “𝗦𝗮𝗺𝗮-𝘀𝗮𝗺𝗮 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗮 𝘀𝗮 𝗕𝗮𝘆𝗮𝗻𝗴 𝗕𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗯𝗮𝘀𝗮”

With the theme “Sama-sama para sa Bayang Bumabasa,” the event gathered over 100 partners and stakeholders who generously donated a wide array of items to support schools within the Surigao City Division. Donations included monetary contributions, TV sets, desktop computers, electric fans, go bags for learners, health kits, and more—all aimed at enhancing the learning environment and promoting literacy.

𝗚𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗟𝗼𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗚𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹𝘀

Regional Director Asuncion expressed her heartfelt gratitude to the host division, the chiefs and staff of the DepEd Caraga Regional Office, media partners, and dignitaries from the local government units of Surigao City and Surigao del Norte.

“I am so happy to hear the commitment of our local government units, led by Hon. Governor Lyndon Barbers, Hon. Mayor Pablo Yves L. Dumlao II, and Vice Mayor Hon. Alfonso Casurra, for committing themselves to help raise the bar of literacy in Surigao del Norte as a whole,” Asuncion remarked.

The event was also graced by the presence of World Bank representatives Recardo Jose Patron Mier y Teran and Jose Enrique Corpus.

𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗦𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱 𝗕𝗮𝗻𝗸 𝗥𝗲𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲

Highlighting the event was a reading session led by Regional Director Asuncion herself, joined by selected learners and assisted by Teran. This activity underscored the critical importance of reading as a foundation for learning and community development.

𝗖𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗯𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗮’𝘀 𝗔𝗰𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗰, 𝗔𝗿𝘁𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘀 𝗔𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀

In her remarks, Director Asuncion proudly recalled Caraga’s historic victory as National Champion at the recent National Schools Press Conference and the National Festival of Talents, where the region captured first place in Braille Reading and Likhawitan held in Vigan, Ilocos Sur. She also highlighted the region’s top-eight finish at the 2025 Palarong Pambansa in Laoag, Ilocos Norte. She emphasized her commitment to sustaining this winning momentum while acknowledging the vital support of local government units in raising literacy standards across the region.

𝗕𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗮𝗱𝗮 𝗘𝘀𝗸𝘄𝗲𝗹𝗮: 𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗝𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗖𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴

Director Asuncion further stated, “This Brigada is not just about cleaning the classrooms and the whole campus. This includes preparations for the mental, social, and physical well-being of our teachers and learners. Let us not forget that if we have happy teachers, we will have happy learners. Happy teachers, happy learners. We should have that as our principle.” She noted that top management invested in teacher capability last summer, implemented a remediation program, and provided resources to create a conducive learning environment for the upcoming school year.

Director Asuncion emphasized that the Brigada Eskwela kick-off was a simultaneous activity involving all schools in Caraga. Part of this activity was the distribution of “go bags” to all learners, including those in Last Mile Schools. She challenged DepEd Surigao City and the entire DepEd Caraga workforce to continue engaging with partners and stakeholders across various aspects of education—including health, tutorials, first aid, CPR, rescue, and disaster preparedness.

𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝗗𝗼𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀

The success of the event was made possible through the generosity of numerous partners, including but not limited to the following:

1. LGU Surigao City: ₱50,395,602.63 for all schools of SDO Surigao City:

2. Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP): ₱50,000 for Surigao Pilot Elementary School facilities

3. Michelle Lola of ATB Inc.: ₱50,000 for Surigao City Division and boxes of hygiene kits for 12 Schools Division Offices

4. DepEd Caraga Regional Office: ₱50,000 donation

5. BPI Legazpi Savings Bank: Stand fans

6. BDO Network Bank: 100 gallons of paint

7. Tagum Cooperative: Selecta ice cream

8. Philippine Public School Teachers Association (PPSTA): Desktop computers

9. China Savings Bank: Paint and notebooks

10. Mt. Diwata Masonic Lodge: Six Smart TV units

In addition to these major contributors, over a hundred other donors provided various items such as school supplies, sacks of cement, assorted construction materials, tiles, paint, plywood, curtains, perimeter fences, handwashing facilities, sound systems, and more. These materials were distributed to recipient schools during their respective Brigada Eskwela launching activities on the same day.

The event concluded with Director Asuncion and Assistant Director Pedro Escobarte Jr., joined by other officials, painting one of the classrooms and leading a tree-planting activity.

The 2025 Brigada Eskwela regional launch in Surigao City stands as a testament to the power of community collaboration in nurturing a culture of reading and holistic education, ensuring that learners across Caraga are well-prepared for the academic year ahead.

For more information, contact (085) 221-1151, 0961-737-0873, or 0915-808-4734. Website: www.caraga.deped.gov.ph; email: caraga@deped.gov.ph; pau_caraga@deped.gov.ph.

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