MUNICIPALITY OF DALAGUETE IS AWARDED THE SYNERGEIA SEAL OF GOOD EDUCATION GOVERNANCE

"THE SEAL IS A GUARANTEE, A MARK OF CREDIBILITY AND AUTHENTICITY, AND A SYMBOL OF EXCELLENCE BESTOWED UPON EXEMPLARY LGUS TO HONOR THEIR PURSUIT OF THE DELIVERY OF BASIC EDUCATION IN AN EXCEPTIONAL AND RELENTLESS MANNER. 

THE SEAL HONORS THE LGU'S ACHIEVEMENTS AND GUARANTEES THE DELIVERY OF QUALITY BASIC EDUCATION FOR CHILDREN THROUGH COMMUNITY COOPERATION.

OUT OF ALL LGUS IN THE COUNTRY, AROUND 250 WERE SHORTLISTED, BUT ONLY 24 CITIES AND MUNICIPALITIES HAVE BEEN JUDGED TO RECEIVE THE SEAL."

DALAGUETE, CEBU IS ONE OF THEM.

Established in 2002, Synergeia is a coalition of individuals and organizations working closely with about 400 LGUs to improve the delivery of basic education to Filipino children.

The foundation intends to award the Seal of Good Education Governance to deserving LGUs every year. It received 250 LGU nominations through its website this year.

Determining the list of seal recipients was a board of judges composed of representatives from Synergeia and the Department of Education. To receive the seal, LGUs must have broadened the membership and functions of their local school board. Most of their schools should have functional School Governing Councils. Judges will also check how the LGUs have involved their communities in enabling all children to go to school.

The Special Education Fund (SEF) in the LGUs Budget must also be used on activities that promote learning.

As an indicator of performance, the average National Achievement Test score of elementary school children must be higher than the national average of 66 percent, or must have increased by at least two percentage points. Alternatively, the LGUs must have reduced the number of poor readers by at least 15 percent. Moreover, their cohort survival rate (the percentage of first graders who go on to complete sixth grade) must be higher than the national average of 70 percent, or must have increased by at least two percentage points. Finally, the LGUs must have recorded a decrease in non-readers and frustrated readers by at least 15 percentage points. 

"We put together an education governance scorecard to focus on the results of their work. While anecdotes and feel-good stories about education initiatives are helpful, the scorecard enables us to objectively evaluate the performance of LGUs," said Synergeia chief executive officer Milwida Guevara. "We are happy to recognize these outstanding LGUs, and hope that the Seal of Good Education Governance would inspire them to keep making children's education a priority in their governance agenda," she added.

DALAGAN PARA SA DUMALAN NHS: DALAGUETNONS AS A COMMUNITY DOING THEIR ROLE IN EDUCATION AND SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

Participants sign their names to manifest support of this worthy cause.

In Dalaguete, we believe that education is the responsibility of everyone. We believe that it will take a village to educate a child. We believe that the future of Dalaguete is of great importance to be left solely in the hands of the teachers or principals. For education to positively change the lives of Dalaguetnon children, the government and all able-bodied citizens must give a part of themselves to help our schools. After all, as Mayor Ronald Allan Cesante puts it, “This is to ensure that the next generation of Dalaguetnons to replace us are better than us.”

As part of this strategic vision, the Municipal Government of Dalaguete (MGD) invested on links for the social capital and created an education-governance-community interface as vehicle for resource mobilization on education. Put simply, the MGD initiates activities where everyone can help our children obtain quality education as the foundation to improve their lives and sustainable development.

Following this thrust, the MGD Officials led by Acting Municipal Mayor Jeffrey Belciña through the Community Development (COMDEV) Unit under Ms. Gena Buenconsejo, the DepEd and other offices, organized the Dalagan para sa Dumalan NHS—a fun run activity for the purchase of armchairs and facilities enhancement of the newly-established Dumalan NHS. This came as a brainchild of Honorable SB Members Felix Villacorta and Hon. Royce Nikko Cesante who strongly set the objectives of the activity after seeing the needs of the Dumalan NHS students.



The Technical Working Group of the event.



The members of event committees



Held on a cool early Saturday morning of February 4, 2017, the Run finished with an overwhelming success. Over 700 runners from different walks of life registered for the 3 KM and 5 KM running categories. For the 5 KM category John Cliff Debolusan, John Darryl Manos, and Ricky Amamangpang won the first, second, and third places respectively. On the other hand, Renan Amamangpang, Gerald Orozco, and Seann Kyle Trapero won the first, second, and third places respectively in the 3 KM category.



The winners... The three in neon orange for 5KM, and the ones on each end for 3KM.

The Run was an enormous gathering of teachers, students, other government employees, and running enthusiasts. All of them came not only to help Dumalan NHS, but also to celebrate the coming of the 306th Annual Fiesta of Dalaguete.



All smiles and making history in this worthy cause, the education stakeholders ran and danced in the Zumba while accumulating a net proceeds of about a hundred thousand. This has met the school’s necessities, and exceeded the expectations of the organizers. The School Head of Dumalan NHS, Ms. Florencia Orozco and Dumalan Brgy. Captain Juanito Ybañez gratefully received the cash proceeds. In a message during the event, Hon. Nikko Cesante thanked those who came and said that the huge number of registrants is “Dalaguete giving back to the community.”



Gun start for 3KM Category


Gun start for 5 KM category

The MGD and the organizers are forever optimistic that the same display of unity during the Dalagan para sa Dumalan NHS would be fostered forever. After all, in Dalaguete, we believe that learners come first. We want our children and young people to enjoy learning, make better progress, and achieve high standards. To do this, relationships need to be established and key players must work well to ensure that Dalaguete schools offer quality facilities, and are sufficiently available, so as to offer choices, good access, and better environment in which to learn.