Officials of a school located in a far-flung village of the municipality of Sibalom have found a way to make graduation for their elementary completers memorable through their mobile ceremony using a multicab open back van as the stage.
Department of Education (DepEd) Sibalom South District Supervisor Demar Cahilig on Tuesday said poor internet connection made it difficult for the Tulatula Elementary School to hold a virtual ceremony.
“Tulatula Elementary School principal Arnulfo Batiao together with his teachers decided to hold a mobile graduation for their 18 elementary pupils on July 12,” he said.
The school, located nine kilometers away from the town proper, is the first of the 39 public elementary and secondary schools under Cahilig’s supervision to hold a graduation ceremony.
The mobile graduation was held using a multicab van, which was decorated to look like a stage, and visited each house of a graduating student.
“My message was recorded so that it was played using a mobile sound system installed also on the multicab,” he added.
Cahilig said a parent of the graduating pupil was also asked to go up the makeshift stage with his child for the ribbon pinning, giving of the certificate, and photo opportunity.
Meanwhile, the DepEd Schools Division of Antique has lauded its graduates of the school year 2020-2021 for their perseverance to finish their studies under the difficult circumstance due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).
DepEd Superintendent Felisa Beriong on Tuesday said that completers made it this school year even while face-to-face classes were disallowed.
“The graduates were able to finish their studies because of their perseverance despite that they only had modular and online classes,” she said.
She credited parents and teachers for the support and their adjustments to continue the delivery of learning.
In compliance with Memorandum Order, series 2021 issued by Education Secretary Leonor Briones, all schools under DepEd Antique will be holding virtual graduation.
“Per Memorandum Order of our Secretary Briones, the graduation is scheduled from July 12 to 16,” Beriong said.
In an earlier interview, Dr. Gaudencio Reigo, chief of DepEd Antique Curriculum Implementation, said they expect 45,372 learners from Kinder to Grade 10 in 534 public schools in the province to graduate this school year.
Source: Philippines News Agency
