Guided by its theme, “Bayanihan Para sa Matatag na Paaralan,” the annual and week-long activity Brigada Eskwela 2024 was formally started with a nationwide kick-off ceremony from July 22-27, 2024. As stipulated in DepEd Memo Nos. 66, s. 2018, the activity consisted of caravans in the Regional and Division Offices and a kick-off ceremony in every school, which served as the end point of the caravan.
Brigada Eskwela (BE), known as the National Schools Maintenance Program, entails public-private stakeholders who exhibit the spirit of shared responsibility within the community in helping the Department of Education provide quality, accessible, relevant, and liberating basic education for all Filipino learners.
In this context, the kick-off for DepEd Davao Region occurred on July 22, 2024, at Rizal Central Elementary School in Digos City. Subsequent activities on July 23, 2024, saw the Davao del Norte kick-off at Magatos Integrated School and the Tagum Division kick-off at Visayan Village Elementary School.
Tagum Cooperative, well-represented by the Board of Directors and Management, supported the operation by donating wall fans and other materials like grass cutters to help maintain school grounds. During the kick-off held at Tagum Cooperative on July 26, 2024, additional school beneficiaries also received these donations.
Brigada Eskwela is, in fact, not just a tool for improving school facilities but also a tool for achieving higher learning outcomes in every school and a mechanism to elevate the level and participation of all stakeholders, especially in realizing the department’s vision and mission.
Likewise, Tagum Cooperative will persist in its partnership with other non-government and government agencies to provide assistance not only through financial support but also through actionable help that embodies its principles for education and community concern. Britney Ann B. Manayon