Eighty DepEd teachers from six different divisions in Cebu were awarded certificates after completing the training program for Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual Education (MTB-MLE) at the university’s Basak campus.
MTB-MLE is a component of DepEd’s K-12 program which refers to “first-language-first” education. It intends to begin children’s education in the mother tongue believing they will transition to additional languages particularly Filipino and English smoothly.
The said teachers, who came from the divisions of Cebu City, Cebu Province, Carcar, Talisay, Mandaue and Toledo, were scholars of the program spearheaded by DepEd region 7, Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. (RAFI), and USJ-R.
Eight professors from the university’s Graduate School of Education took the lead in training the teacher-scholars on the current trends of MTB-MLE and in developing instructional materials for the said program.
All eight university teachers—Prof. Lea Mae Ladonga, Prof. Helmae Etulle, Prof. Joy Ceballos, Dr. Angelie Otum, Prof. Frenchie Vi Regino, Prof. Jacqueline Visitacion, Prof. Jennifer Raganas and the DOTE Chair, Prof. Jestoni Babia—prepared for the training by undergoing a series of trainings themselves from national and international experts on MTB-MLE.
After completing the training program, the participants were entitled to 12 masteral units under Master of Arts major in Elementary Teaching.
The teacher-scholars were expected to bring to their respective divisions the new designs of MTB-MLE and initiate trainings to share the things they had learned with their fellow teachers.
The university’s VP for Administration Rev. Fr. Emilio A. Larlar, OAR, challenged the teacher- scholars to embrace the new methods of teaching while at the same time serving as good role models to the crucial identity of today’s generation.
He added that teachers must integrate values in every lesson where student’s character and moral discipline will be developed.
DepEd OIC Regional Director Dr. Carmelita Dulangon stressed the importance for teachers to be knowledgeable in using their first language in their instruction. She added that they must be constantly aware that the heart of teaching is always the child.
Meanwhile, Mr. Jestoni P. Babia, the Asst. Program Director and the chairman of the Department of Teacher Education, reminded the teacher-scholars of the course guidelines and the expected requirements expected of them to accomplish the goals of the program.
Dr. Julieta M. Catipay, program director and dean of the Graduate School of Education, meanwhile, challenged the participants to pledge their commitment for the said project.
She stressed that their participation will heed to the greater call of building an education that will capture the heart and learning interests of the students and will break barriers to the pressing matters of our educational system.
Text by KNR; Photos courtesy of COE
