By: Marvin T. Tana and Remedios R. Siena

As part of the support to the advocacy of the Department of Education for continuous learning amidst the pandemic, the Local Government Unit (LGU) of Paranaque City has pledged 26 On-The-Go (OTG) flash drives and 368 tablets to the kindergarten learners of Fourth Estate Elementary School – Marcelo Green (FEES-MG) on January 7, 2021.

The tablets will be utilized by the learners in accessing digitized learning materials and attending online classes. The OTGs will serve as additional storage for learners’ files that cannot be stored in their tablet.

The distribution of the OTGs and tablets was facilitated by the School Custodian, Mr. Rogelio Verano, and participated by kindergarten advisers, non-teaching personnel, and parents. Maximum safety protocol has been observed inside and outside of the premises to help curb the spike of Covid-19 cases.

Before the distribution, parents were already advised and asked to sign the Terms and Conditions to adhere once the items are handed down to them. Among the terms indicated state that: “Ang tablet na ipapamahagi ay para lamang sa pag-aaral ng mag-aaral at sa pakikipag-ugnayan sa mga guro”; “Hindi ito maaaring gamitin at lagyan ng mga applications maliban sa ginagamit na digitized modules”, (The tablets given are intended to be used for educational purposes only, installation of other applications is not allowed except for storing digitized modules). 

Learners near the school may opt to use the school’s internet connection for free and solely for educational reasons only. The given OTG flash drives and tablets must be returned to the school in good condition once the school year ends.

Both teachers and parents were delighted by the move of the LGU in extending support to the school. Parents were very happy for their children as they will no longer suffer from a lack of gadgets to continue their distance learning.