UNPACKING AND COMBINING THE MOST ESSENTIAL LEARNING COMPETENCIES (MELCs)

The identification of MELCs intends to provide instructional space among field

partners/implementers to
deliver quality instruction amidst the limited learning modalities and shortening
of the school year.
Likewise, the release of the MELCs does not confine teachers in navigating the
peculiarities of the
learning landscapes. Just like in the pre-COVID years, you are highly encouraged to
unpack the
curriculum standards into learning objectives through the MELCs, in order to
systematize learning
activities and effectively address the varying needs of learners and the challenges
of instructional
deliveries.

In unpacking the MELCs into learning objectives, you need to consider the
following:

● Alignment on the Content and Performance Standards - The MELCs are not a
departure from the
standards-based design, which is one of the main features of the K to 12
Curriculum. In fact, there
are no MELCs without the content and performance standards.
● Prerequisite knowledge and skills - It is worth noting that the identified
MELCs cater to higher-
order cognitive demands. As such, lower cognitive demand may be considered
first in creating
learning objectives. This ensures that prerequisite knowledge and skills
that would enable the
achievement of MELCs, and eventually the content and performance standards,
are addressed.
● Logical sequence of learning objectives - Since the intention of unpacking
the MELCs is to provide
systematic learning experiences for learners, it is incumbent that the
unpacked learning objectives
follow a logical sequence.

Consider the following examples:

Combining the MELCs

The MELCs could likewise be combined to observe efficiency in the development of

learning resources,
which include but are not limited to SLMs, textbooks, teacher’s guides, activity
sheets, and television and
radio scripts.

Since MELCs in each learning area are all interrelated and anchored on the content
and performance
standards, combining at least two MELCs will allow teachers to effectively design
instructional resources
without veering away from the standards prescribed by the curriculum.

In combining MELCs, field implementers should take note of the following criteria:

● Commonality of content, topic, or theme - MELCs to be combined should show

commonality and
relatedness in content, topic, or theme. This ensures that essential
content and topic will not be
watered down.
● Alignment with the Content and Performance Standards - Just like in the
unpacking of MELCs,
combining two or more should aid in the achievement of the content and
performance
standards.

To reiterate, MELCs are not a departure from the standards-based design of the
curriculum.
Look at the following example:

As seen in the tables, out of the six MELCs identified for Araling Panlipunan 1
Quarter 1, MELCs 1 & 2
and 3 & 4 are related and manifest a common content or topic: personal identity for
the first two and
change and continuity for the latter. The combination of these MELCs do not affect
the attainment of
both the content and performance standards as articulated in the said quarter.