SDO Batanes Opens Teachers’ Month with Project HOPE and Project ARAL

Posted by nicaloka on 2025-09-11 22:14:05 |

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Itbud, Uyugan, Batanes – September 9, 2025 The Schools Division Office (SDO) of Batanes formally opened the celebration of National Teachers’ Month on September 9, 2025, at the Itbud Integrated School Covered Court, Uyugan, highlighted by the launching of Project HOPE (Holistic Opportunities for Progressive Education) and Project ARAL (Academic Recovery and Accessible Learning). Project HOPE (Holistic Opportunities for Progressive Education) is an integrated initiative of SDO Batanes that places learners, teachers, and schools at its core. Anchored on the YARU Agenda, it focuses on four pillars: holistic development of learners, opportunities for literacy and digital innovation, professional and personal growth of personnel, and equitable access through data-based interventions. Meanwhile, the DepEd ARAL (Academic Recovery and Accessible Learning) Program in Reading is a nationwide effort to support learners who face difficulties in reading. It focuses on children who are not yet meeting grade-level expectations, providing them with the guidance and opportunities they need to strengthen their skills and develop confidence as readers. Uyugan Municipal Mayor James Richard Cabugao, through John Ralph Torres, MPDC, expressed his gratitude to the teaching community, citing that his own teaching experience greatly contributed to his growth as a public servant. He conveyed the municipality’s continued support for all initiatives of the SDO Batanes. OIC-Schools Division Superintendent Dante J. Marcelo, PhD, CESO VI, delivered his message emphasizing the importance of collaboration and shared responsibility in advancing the goals of the organization. He introduced Project YARU, a four-point agenda anchored on Project HOPE and aligned with the five-point agenda of DepEd Secretary Juan Edgardo Angara. Dr. Marcelo further underscored that every member of the organization has a role to play in fulfilling its mission, stating, “We are the people in the organization who have a chance to make a difference, the change makers. We teachers celebrate every triumph our learners achieve.” The event began with a motorcade from Basco to Itbud, graced by the Ivatan Riders Club (IRC), followed by a thanksgiving mass at the Our Lady of Miraculous Medal Church. This activity was attended by teacher representatives from various schools across the province, school heads, non-teaching personnel, and personnel of the SDO Batanes. The activity served as the official kickoff for the month-long celebration of teachers, with programs focused on supporting educational recovery and progressive teaching practices. The celebration will culminate on October 4, 2025, at the same venue, in observance of World Teachers’ Day.