Tacloban City:The Department of Education (DepEd) has commenced the distribution of new MacBook Neo laptops to 10,534 public school teachers across Eastern Visayas. This initiative is part of DepEd's efforts to bolster digital learning in the region.

According to Philippines News Agency, Jasmin Calzita, the information officer for DepEd-Eastern Visayas, stated that the distribution is underway across all 13 schools division offices in the region. The priority for these laptops will be given to teachers who have not previously received laptops from DepEd during the distribution period from January 2023 to November 6, unless their issued laptops have been declared unserviceable.

Among the allocations, Leyte received the largest share with 3,030 units, followed by Northern Samar with 1,621, and Samar with 1,232. Eastern Samar was allocated 914 laptops, Southern Leyte received 731, while Tacloban City and Ormoc City were allotted 587 and 586 units, respectively.

DepEd Regional Director Salustiano Jimenez emphasized that this distribution signifies a substantial investment in the educational workforce and the future of education in Eastern Visayas. The initiative aims to enhance productivity, teaching, and learning, as well as operational efficiency by equipping education personnel with essential technological tools.

Each MacBook package comes with built-in productivity tools, nationwide delivery, professional training, and a five-year extended warranty, having an estimated commercial value of more than PHP70,000. DepEd reported generating savings of at least PHP1.4 billion through competitive public bidding compared to standard retail prices.