Building disaster-resilient schools via DLP

CEBU, Philippines -  Super typhoon Yolanda was one of the most disruptive disasters to hit the country last year. While life goes on, it would take some time for lives and routines to normalize.

For schools in calamity areas like the province of Capiz's Parish School of  St. Isidore, classes were suspended for nearly a month to give the students and teachers time to get  their bearings.  The school also needed major repairs.

With so much to make up for, it was a good thing the school decided to adopt the innovative teaching framework, Dynamic Learning Program (DLP), the first one in Capiz to do so.

The program is a non-traditional pedagogy which aims to improve STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) learning in the country by promoting independent student learning. It was developed by Ramon Magsaysay Awardees and renowned physicists Dr. Christopher Bernido and Dr. M. Victoria Carpio-Bernido for their school, Central Visayan Institute Foundation (CVIF) in Jagna, Bohol.

CVIF-DLP is not a curriculum or a module but a teaching method that is geared towards developing each child to his or her fullest potential. Using the same Department of Education curriculum, it is designed to improve basic education given the country's multiple socioeconomic and cultural constraints.

Based on their scientific studies, the Bernidos came up with the formula "80 percent student activity + 4 academic days + 0 homework" to significantly improve the academic performance of the student.

"I pushed for the adoption of DLP in our school and I am glad that we did. While we have suspended classes for almost a month following the typhoon, I am confident our students would be able to catch up academically," said Fr. Randy Guarino, head of the Parish School of St. Isidore.  "Performance of  the students has significantly improved since we instituted DLP this school year."

"While some of our activity sheets were lost and misplaced after 'Yolanda,' the whole repertoire of DLP is intact.  Given the renewed interest of our students in their lessons under DLP, it wouldn't be too hard for them to put in a lot of extra hours and effort in the learning activity sheets to make up for school days lost," he added.

"We're planning to push DLP as a teaching framework in typhoon-affected areas.  Learning is very important in shaping the minds and future of young people. Adverse conditions like disasters must not hamper in any way the basic right to education," said Ramon R. Isberto, head of Smart Public Affairs.

DLP also proved to be resistant to armed conflicts as was the experience of  Claret School of  Zamboanga City.  Given security concerns due to the military standoff, schools in the city, including Claret, were forced to suspend classes for weeks earlier this year.

"Our students continued to learn in the safety of their homes, thanks to the DLP learning activity sheets, which were emailed to the students and were good for one week's work," said Fr. James Castro, Claret School director. "Parents were asked to supervise their kids and make sure they accomplished the activity sheets per day.  Once a week, the students and their teachers would meet for checking," he added.

"The learning possibilities for students under the DLP framework are limitless.  Learning doesn't have to happen within the confines of the classroom," said Esther Santos, president of PLDT-Smart Foundation (PSF).

DLP is one of the programs supported by PSF and Smart as part of advocacies in education. For more details about this non-traditional yet effective teaching framework, visit www.dlp.ph.  You may also follow CVIF-DLP on Twitter @CVIFDLP, like on Facebook (www.facebook.com/DynamicLearningProgram or view on YouTube (CVIF-DLP).