SDO CATANDUANES BRIGADA ESKWELA IMPLEMENTATION: RISING ABOVE THE

CHALLENGES OF THE NEW NORMAL

Marife B. Brequillo
Senior Education Program Specialist
DepEd SDO Catanduanes

The Department of Education (DepEd) SDO Catanduanes’ implementation of

Brigada Eskwela with the concerted efforts of its partners in advancing “Bayanihan sa
Paaralan” amid COVID 19 situation is a remarkable success.

This year’s Brigada Eskwela 2021 aims to strengthen the commitment of the
department and stakeholders and will prioritize preparations and strengthening partnership
engagements. This is to ensure that quality education will continue despite the challenges
brought by the pandemic that has caused turmoil not only in the country but also in the
whole world. 

The SDO Catanduanes with the dynamic leadership of Superintendency of

Dr. Susan S. Collano has initiated the implementation of the new normal in this year’s
Brigada Eskwela 2021 together with the initiative of the School Governance and Operations
Division-Social Mobilization and Networking Unit.

Kicking off on August 10, 2021 at San Andres Vocational School, San Andres East
District in the Municipality of San Andres, this year’s Brigada Eskwela was anchored on the
theme “Bayanihan sa Paaralan”. This emphasizes the country’s collective efforts in
promoting collaboration for safe living and addressing social issues and concerns in schools,
at homes, and in the community. The event was enthusiastically joined by the different
education partners from the governor down to the municipal mayor, government agencies
and non-government organizations representatives. They delivered their messages
of support and thus, inspiring the DepEd personnel to adjust to the new Brigada Eskwela
framework.

During the preparation, meetings and consultations with stakeholders and partners
were intensified. Letters of invitation were sent to the identified possible partners specifically
to the Local Chief Executives requesting for the enactment of ordinances and resolutions
supporting Brigada Eskwela and Brigada Pagbasa and providing funds thereof. Fortunately,
the following local government units (LGUs): LGU San Miguel, LGU San Andres, LGU
Virac, LGU Caramoran, and LGU Pandan responded positively to our call and able to pass
ordinances and resolutions including the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of the Provincial
government.

Through the generosity and support of countless education partners that include local
government officials, civic groups and non-governmental organizations, parents, barangay
officials, volunteer readers and tutors, book donors, and other community volunteers who
contributed in one way or another, we leaped past challenges and difficulties of adapting to
the new normal mode of education. We generated an amount of ₱135,472,663.60 from both
labor and material resources; about 10,817 Brigada Pagbasa volunteers and
72,791 volunteers for Brigada Eskwela. This gives us a clear picture that we,
Catandunganons, could rise above any catastrophe because of the help and support of one
another.