DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION (DepEd)

SWOT Analysis

Strengths:

One of the Department of Education's evident strengths in the Philippines is that it gives

access to free education. With this, Filipinos, even those in remote areas, are given access to their

right to education. Precisely, when it comes to active participation and access in education, the

Department of Education (DepEd) offers public schools inclusivity and equality despite

diversity. Second, DepEd’s employed teachers are highly qualified, as exemplified by their

competency manifested by passing the Licensure Examination for Teachers (LET). Also, the

needs of instructional offices in particular schools are addressed. The Brigada Eskwela program

helps maintain school offices and the Accreditation and Equivalency Test (A&E) has a high level

of passers and enhanced curriculum of the education plan. Third, on Education Outcomes and

External Effectiveness: DepEd’s elementary and high school levels have high graduation rates,

and fortified DepEd promotion has begun projects and activities. There have been consistent

reports on zero dropout rates over these past few years especially since the onset of the K to 12

Program. Lastly, on Managerial and Institutional Aspects, DepEd amended the approved date of

the Rationalization Plan, conveyance through Curriculum and Instruction of an applicable,

responsive and powerful basic education plan, consistent and vital improvement in the school

and learning center managers for whom education and learning takes place, smooth transition of

workplaces and employees to the structures defended, and application of appropriate procedures

and systems for administration and activity issues.

 A Memorandum of Understanding was signed by DepEd and the Technical Education

and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) to establish a Joint Working Group (JWG) to

harmonize technical-vocational-livelihood (TVL) education and skills training in the primary

education system of the Philippines. DepEd and TESDA established a JWG on specialized

vocational training and preparation (TVET) consisting of five individuals from each office, who

shall be essentially responsible for proposing arrangements, choices, or exercises for the

harmonization and procedures, strategies and projects on TVET and the preparation of skills,

consistency, and quality confirmation of the preparation of the guidelines. The school education

framework commands DepEd in primary education while CHED is responsible for higher

education and TESDA for post-auxiliary control, center-level work preparation, and

improvement. According to Secretary Lapeña, the exact execution of K to 12 TVL programs that

intentionally hold fast to TESDA's quality confirmation components can help bring more help

and confidence to the education system. The production and preparation of this joint working

meeting on specialized vocational training made up of individuals from both offices is

undoubtedly a positive development. Secretary Lapeña added that this would ensure that they

can continue to have a discussion to arrange activities on TVL programs in an in-depth and

timely manner.

Cognizant to DepEd Order No. 8, s. 2018, specifically, Oplan Kalusugan sa DepEd (OK

sa DepEd) Program has launched five flagship programs--- School-Based Feeding Program

(SBFP), National Drug Education Program (NDEP), Adolescent Reproductive Health Education

(ARHE), Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) in Schools, and Medical, Dental, and Nursing

Services.
 School-Based Feeding Program (SBFP), precisely based on the Philippine Plan of Action

(PPAN) 2017-2022, provides meals for undernourished children in all grade levels and focuses

on areas dependent on hindering predominance to improve participation in homeroom and urge

students to go to class every day. The meals in the Philippine Dietary Reference Intakes (PDRI)

must comply with 1/3 of the suggested consumption.

National Drug Education Program (NDEP), an educational program that addresses the

problem of medication misuse in an all-encompassing manner, is intended to empower all fields

to work together with the educational system as the center, bringing together all sectoral attempts

in this way.

Reproductive Health Education (ARHE) aims to strengthen DepEd's conveyance of its

commands under the 2012 Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Act (R.A. No.

10354) through a direction and advisory program by upgrading limits of authorized leadership

advocates or assigned home management teachers and selecting faculty and advancement of a

reference organization on all RPRH issues to specialist co-ops.

Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) in Schools focuses on the principles for the

advancement of a spotless and safe school climate and correct student cleanliness and

sterilization rehearsals. It is carried out with DepEd's Essential Health Care Program (EHCP),

Deworming, and other related school well-being ventures interconnected with one another.

Medical, Dental, and Nursing Services - this program focuses on various well-being

exercises and activities, such as well-being assessment, treatment, interview, reference, well-

being guidance - to advance, secure, and maintain the well-being status of students and faculty of
the school, and provision of promotional, preventive, and remedial administrations to improve

the students' oral well-being status in the Dental Service.

Brigada Eskwela, which is the most popular strength of the Department of Education as

to how it strengthens the Bayanihan of the Filipino people, is a cross-country activity, which

assembles volunteers to help clean, provide, and carry out upkeep work for public schools.

Specifically, as how it was established in 2003, it became (aforesaid) one of DepEd's main

projects. In preparation for the opening of classes, it plans to assemble guardians, graduate

classes, city gatherings, nearby organizations, non-government associations, instructors, students,

and individuals to assist public schools revamping the offices. Brigada Eskwela has tons of

benefits; it saves assets concerning the school, it creates unity and cooperation for all partners

where their fraternity among them creates, satisfies and welcomes the cleanliness of the offices,

and protects and prepares the school to serve Filipino students. This project, while featuring

Bayanihan, effectively helps in building inventive methods of improving school offices. It makes

people grasp the spirit of chipping in. With the Bayanihan demonstration, it is essential to allow

each other to go out, especially for enhancing the youth's nature of instruction. The head of

schools, who, along with the volunteers, participate as the lead function in directing exercises,

makes the entire development conceivable. Helping one another and upholding responsibility,

this spirit of volunteerism and participation reduces the outstanding task at hand and simplifies

the task without expecting something in return.

Weaknesses:

Generally, the root of the crisis within DepEd is its adoption to neoliberal policies; it

unveils how colonial, commercialized, and anti-democratic our educational system is (San Juan,

2016). For instance, amidst the pandemic, 650 out of 900 TOFI (Tuition and Other Fees

Increase) is approved by the department. Hence, 400,000 students drastically transferred from

private to public schools (due to strain and financial factors), and thus there had been closure of

more than 700 small private schools. Indubitably, this resulted to the deterioration of quality of

public education – as to how it now sought a massive class size, with limited resources,

insufficient government funding, and lack of classrooms, facilities, and teachers (NUSP, 2020).

First, the 2021 Educational Budget also showed how education is not a front-state

priority. From 544 billion on 2020 budget, 2021 caters to a proposal of 568 billion, albeit the

needed adjustments for the on-going pandemic and various crises. The Higher Education, in

point of fact, will soon deal with 31% decrease – from 17.9 billion capital outlay, to 12.4 billion

proposed budgets. Basically, it uttered how 56 SUCs (State University/Colleges) will incur cuts

in Capital Outlay budget, with two to receive zero allocation; and 19 SUCs will have their total

budget slashed e.g. RTU, PNU, Tarlac SU, BSU, etc. (Cordero, 2020).

Second, despite DepEd’s “No Collection Policy”, it is a sad fact that there are still public

schools that do not adhere to this rule. An advisory was released by DepEd last academic year

(A.Y. 2019-2020) stating that some divisions fail to monitor the schools in terms of generating

its budget without collecting funds from students and/or parents. Some school heads and

educational leaders still collect small funds from students and parents for extra-curricular

activities and photocopies. Since DepEd has a budget for these activities and learning resources,

schools that defy these guidelines may be reported to the Central Office (Macaspac, 2019).
 In addition, since canteens in public schools are now school-managed or teacher-

managed, the vulnerability to corruption is high. DepEd discouraged outsiders to sell inside the

campus. All of the proceeds directly go to the teacher in-charge of the canteen and they get at

least 5-10% of these funds. According to DepEd, this is a small reward for teachers in spending

extra time and effort in managing the canteen. However, this raised the eyebrows of some

parents and educators alike. They do not agree with this policy because instead of allocating this

5-10% budget for students (e.g. development of instructional materials and provision of further

instructional support), it goes to the hands of school heads and teachers.

Furthermore, in spite of its “No Collection Policy”, school heads and teachers are still

permitted to solicit funds from external stakeholders. This happens especially when Parent-

Teacher Association (PTA) officers accrue funds for the accomplishment of projects in the

school.

Also, in a broader context, millions, and even billions of funds are annually allocated for

DepEd alone, yet there are still constraints in terms of provision of appropriate learning materials

for the students, especially during this time of pandemic. Recently, the government issued RISO

and photocopy machines for the public schools for the production of modules. This means that

there is really a bulk of money in DepEd, not to mention that it has the highest budget allocation

among all the government agencies in the Philippines. This leaves people wondering why the

basic needs of the schools like armchairs, laboratory equipment, classrooms, and learning

materials could not be provided by the government. Most of the new buildings and equipment in

schools are even donated by private agencies and from the personal pockets of stakeholders.

Moreover, the educational system encapsulates colonialism. Technically, the system

molds its students and graduates with the notions of internationalization and globalization. They
are machined to be “globally competitive” to meet the demands of the multinational and

transnational companies. It caters to an outcome-based education; which emphasis is leaned

towards the outcomes that could be marketable (Masuhay, 2019). To add up fuel into the flame,

the Transnational Higher Education Act, which was signed by President Duterte on August 2019,

had proved how colonialism infests our core educational system – as to how it allows foreign

HEIs to sell education in the Philippines through various means: franchising, setting up a branch,

partnering with local HEIs, etc.; grants tax exemptions to foreign HEIs operating in the

Philippines; and romanticize resiliency and hardships encountered by various sectors in the new

normal education (Official Gazette, 2018).

Third, there had been less emphasis on humanities and social sciences subjects and

courses. It filters narratives of leftist movements, and gives accent to the action of the ring-wing

base. This is chiefly seen on how Philippine History or Araling Panlipunan – martial law

experiences, colonization, and revolutions are spurned. The CMO 20 s. 2013 had watered down

GE curriculum and removed Filipino Panitikan and Constitution in college (CHED, N.D).

Hence, politically speaking, even if the “common good” is possible to clasp, it would still not

make clear the means needed to reach its end, since a lot of citizens (given the fact that

Constitution and various crucial social sciences subjects are removed from the whole Jing bang

of curriculum) do not have the ample and requisite knowledge to design and critique

governmental processes, social realities, and policies (Schumpeter, N.D)

Fourth, DepEd enables an anti-democratic style of education. It creates various repressive

policies that aren’t really hindrances (to the productivity of such students), and make it a mask

and concealment of “discipline.” For instance, there had been censorship of student publications,

defunding of student institutions, haircut and dress code policies, and mandatory random drug
testing (CHED Memo Order 28 s. 2018). Might as well, CHED and DepEd as member agencies

of NTF-ELCAC have multiple roles in connivance with the AFP and PNP to quell student

participation activism. This had enabled nationwide red-tagging campaign versus youth

organizations, progressive student-leaders, institutions, and schools; it also intensified military

and police presence in schools; the vilification and closure of Lumad schools; and state

intervention in appointment of university officials (Brillantes, 2018).

Fifth, in terms of programs – the K+12 Curriculum faces unending issues. A study by

Ednave (2016) uttered that the challenges encountered in the K to 12 Curriculum upon its

implementation is its lack of preparation and professional development – especially amongst the

teachers; excessive academic load for the students; and the complexity of integration of lessons

in real-life context. Also, it was asserted that K+12 graduates are not job ready. In a survey, only

24% of companies are willing to hire K+12 graduates. Young people aged 15 to 24 comprise

46% of the unemployed in the Philippines, as of 2018; and college-level students and graduates

already comprise 36% of the country’s unemployed (Lalas, 2018).

Sixth, with the timely crisis of the pandemic, DepEd had been tenuous on its

implementation of modular-distance learning. Education Undersecretary Diosdado San Antonio

uttered that they garnered 56 reports of SLM mishaps. received a total of 56 reports of SLM

mishaps through the agency's DepEd Error Watch. Blunders such as "distressing" grammatical

errors, inaccurate math equations, and modules displaying gender stereotyping (genderization of

stuff) troubled and alarmed the public as they shared concern about the quality of service of

education more than 24 million students shall clasp and garner during the pandemic. Basically,

the opening of classes was postponed twice to accommodate colleges, teachers, students and

parents to compensate for the challenges of distance learning. Yet it seemed that, those setbacks
were not enough to ensure the quality and development of error-free learning modules (Adonis,

2020). It was also found out that some of the selections and activities in the modules were not

originally crafted by the teachers; instead, they were lifted from the students’ Learning Materials

(LMs) and from the Teaching Guides (TGs) produced by DepEd. This defeated the purpose of

localizing and contextualizing these learning materials.

Seventh, in terms of bureaucracy –the structure of the Department of Education is

immensely dispersed, clasps low-level managerial skills, and is delinked as well. The

management per se, mirrors a largely central office driven, which stemmed out from decades of

acquiescence to the centrally-mandated policy and resources. Precisely, there is a structural

rigidity that perpetuates central control over processes. Also, albeit there is an internalized

decentralization, such processes are not really encapsulated. For instance, as to how the national

budget is encoded and programmed, local innovators have little room to comment, control, and

manage day-to-day quality service. And, there are also field managers who govern, with such a

little managerial talent on the ground. Department of Education is still very much a top-down

bureaucracy albeit the unwieldy and widely dispersed school infrastructure. Precisely, the

standard approach stems from directives sent from the field by the central office in the form of

DepEd memos – the famous "DepEd Memo" – written instructions that can be as relevant as the

declaration of a new direction, policy or program (e.g. grading system, the new Basic Education

Curriculum, etc.) to the mundane (e.g. teacher dress code, honor assemblies, ranking, etc.) to

various announcements (like holidays, activities, etc.) and such. Also, in such a specific year, as

many as 400 DepEd or almost two memos per day are issued as directives in the course of

approximately 205-day academic year. Memos duly signed by the Secretary of Education or one

of the Undersecretaries, on behalf of the Secretary. The DepEd bureaucracy operated by the
DepEd Memo - rooted in the structure that the managers and school heads are waiting for them

rather than working on their own. A common phrase (though with some kernel of truth):

Principal will wait for the DepEd Memo on "Principal Empowerment" before acting on the issue.

If governance requires managers at various levels making decisions that are reasonable and self-

propelled, then two items are required in the system: knowledgeable managers and a culture of

professionalism (Luz, 2009).

It thus can be asserted that the poor performance of Philippine education generally, is a

reflection of poor governance and structure which cannot carry out as expected. Precisely, the

department per se, cannot exist for the society’s means in discharging particular social tasks. It

only existed for their own sake. Amid the pandemic, it is manifested how anti-stakeholders the

organization is. It does not wholly respond to the society’s demands and concerns; hence the

booming cases of suicidal rates amongst students, number of drop-outs, and so forth. Also, the

executive performance is undemocratic – whilst Ducker (2008) uttered that, basically, everybody

(shareholders, stakeholders, teachers, managers, etc.) has a role to play in decision-making –

DepEd had been austere on its own organizational- managerial decision, and perpetually deaf

themselves to the demands such as: Academic Freeze, Safe Opening of Classes, etc.

Opportunities

For the ACCESS TO AND PARTICIPATION IN EDUCATION

1. Presence of partners and donors for the teachers

There are many groups and institutions that give their support to various programs of

DepEd like the Gabay Guro Program. This program manifests teacher support in a host of
projects, foremost of which is providing scholarship grants to deserving students taking up

Bachelor of Science in Education. After graduation, scholars are required to exercise their noble

profession within the Philippines for a number of years. As of August 2012, Gabay Guro has

given 527 scholarship grants, and already produced 67 graduates.

2. Existing back to school or Balik-Eskwela Program and other special programs

The Oplan Balik Eskwela is part of the Department's efforts to ensure that learners are

properly enrolled and able to attend school on the first day of classes. The OBE aims to address

problems, queries, and other concerns commonly encountered by the public at the start of the

school year.

3. Providing equal opportunities for Muslim students through MADRASAH

MADRASAH education is a specialized program for Muslim students in the Philippines.

This program aims to deliver education in the way Muslims are taught internationally. Even if it

somehow diverts from the K to 12 curriculum, it still adheres to the general guidelines of DepEd.

4. Enhancement of the Open High School Program (OHSP)

The OHSP is an alternative mode of secondary education that uses distance learning. It

caters to learners who are unable to attend the regular class program due to physical impairment,

work, financial difficulties, distance of home to school, and other justifiable and legitimate

reasons.

5. Capacity building programs and activities for teachers

All DepEd teachers undergo the Teacher Induction Program (TIP), an enhancement

training both at the national and local levels. TIP makes explicit what teachers should know, be
able to do and value to achieve competence, improve student learning outcomes, and eventually,

quality education. It is founded on teaching philosophies of learner centeredness, lifelong

learning, and inclusivity/inclusiveness, among others.

In terms of EDUCATION OUTCOMES AND EXTERNAL EFFECTIVENESS

1. They provide ICT and social media and other technology as medium to track learners

Social media is the easiest medium to deliver information in this digital age using the

latest on-hand technologies. However, it opens one’s identity to the world-wide web, making

young learners exposed to different cyber threats. Social media as a tool for collaboration and

communication could defeat its purpose if not used properly and may cause serious problems. It

can also be a tool that could provide gaming applications, marketplace or online services, and

viewing of different multimedia contents that are not appropriate to the level of maturity of

young learners.

Digital literacy is highly emphasized in DepEd’s information and communications

technology (ICT) capacity-building program for teachers to lead them with the beneficial and

befitting use of tools and technologies. ICT is inevitably surrounding us in this information age.

Social media may be the brightest innovation of this era but educators must look the bigger

picture where the reality that social media in itself is not the proper medium for schools to use

especially in connection to the delivery of lessons since there are many options specifically

designated for educational use.

2. This makes an increase of interested partners and donors in the community like NGOs and

even private companies who are willing to give scholarships to the students and help the
department in establishing more classrooms and acquiring tools that is needed by the learners

like televisions, computer sets and internet connection.

Threats:

The prevailing issues that DepEd is currently facing laid waste to the whole educational

system of the Philippines and possibly in the near future, will give birth to much serious issues

that might be irreversible.

Since the whole blueprint of the educational curriculum assimilated by DepEd is a

neoliberal form, it will produce assets that will lower the number of professionals in the

Philippines (Brain Drain). It will be more beneficial from highly industrialized countries and not

from an agricultural country like the Philippines. This was demonstrated due to the nature of the

Philippines for being well-known in producing massive workforce. Millions of Filipinos went

outside the borders to either provide a good life to their families or to pursue their passion in line

with their field of expertise.

The K-12 Program, being experimental, rather than an ideal and practical curriculum, led

to the dissatisfaction of the industry, teachers, and students (i.e., how it promised students who

graduated from the curriculum to have stable jobs). Students were forced to enroll strands not in

line with their passion but to the demands of the industry, particularly abroad. Also, the K-12

program is proved to be a lot more expensive as it was compared to higher education (Umil,

2013) with many impractical subjects (i.e., courses or subjects offered in the K-12 Program were

not considered/recognized at the college level, resulting to a repetitive and mechanical retaking

of subjects). Instead of being perceived as a stepping stone for development of the system itself,

it was seen as a barrier by both the teachers and the students to the growth of the nation. The
worst part of it is that those who live in remote areas fail to enjoy the right to quality education

and are being neglected by the department under the former and current administration.

Might as well, the age of the secretary had also affected the efficiency and productivity of

the organization – as to how it accents traditional normative approach, insensitivity (even amidst

numerous calamities and disasters); and the upbringing of obstinate and prejudiced outlook from

an unhinged mindset (Magsambol, 2020); and as to how she encapsulates partisan to the current

administration, and forthrightly giving more significance to capital outlay rather than students’

realities and conditions.

These predominant systemic issues of the department were due to domestic and foreign

pressures which prevent the government from rationalizing the department in order to fix its

institutional issue. Because the country exists in a neocolonial timeline, it needs to answer to the

demands of the dominant power structure. And this was also reinforced by the existence of

corruption in the government. Therefore, the system itself will not function entirely in favor of

the majority of Filipinos in pursuit of national industrialization and better socio-economy, but

rather to the interests of capitalists and foreign companies.

References:

Adonis, M. (2020). Errors found in DepEd learning modules, TV lesson. Retrieved from:

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1346930/errors-found-in-modules-tv#ixzz6d0GpGl4S

Brillantes, D. (2018). Junk ‘oppressive and antidemocratic’ K-to-12. Retrieved from:

inquirer.net/115023/junk-oppressive-antidemocratic-k-12

Briones: Damaged schools due to Rolly's onslaught won't affect module production. (2020,

November 3). Rappler. https://www.rappler.com/nation/briones-says-damaged-schools-super-

typhoon-rolly-will-not-affect-learning-module-productio

Commission on Higher Education (N.D). CMO 20 s. 2013. Retrieved from:

https://ched.gov.ph/cmo-20-s-2013/

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