The Makati city government on Wednesday rolled out its Learning Continuity Plan (LCP) for the school year 2020-2021, in preparation for the blended learning approach in the city amid the pandemic.

Mayor Abigail Binay said the city’s education plan seeks to address both “common and unique” concerns of students from the adoption of the online and modular distance learning modalities.

“The plan deals with issues such as limited access to gadgets and internet connectivity. It contains ways and means to ensure continuous learning while keeping our students and teachers safe from Covid-19 infection,” Binay said during the city’s demonstration of offline devices.

The role of the stakeholders, including teachers, parents, barangay officials, and workers, is highlighted under the plan, she said.

“After all, the education of the youth is a shared responsibility which requires no less than the collective effort of all stakeholders,” she added.

Meanwhile, public school students have received On The Go (OTG) flash drives designed for their offline learning.

“The OTG flash drive is part of the learner’s package provided by the city to all public school students in Makati from preschool to senior high school,” she said. “It is one of the primary tools we came up with to ensure that no student will be left behind as we go through the new normal in education.”

Binay said the OTG flash drives contain digitized self-directed modules and video broadcast editions, dubbed “DepEd-Makati VIBE.”

The OTG flash drives can be used with different gadgets, such as cellphones, laptops, desktop computers, iPads, tablets, and smart televisions.

The Makati education department has already profiled over 78,000 public school enrollees for the official opening of classes this Oct. 5, Binay said.

The city has profiled about 74.9 percent of public students to use cellphones for online learning, while 24 percent have laptops, tablets, televisions, and radios.

About 1.1 percent have no access to any gadget, so they will be using offline learning materials and modules.

Binay earlier said the city government will provide a five-hour free internet load daily to the public school teachers and students.

Over 2,500 public school teachers are also set to receive laptops in October.

The local government has already started distributing learner’s packages to parents and guardians of nearly 85,000 enrollees from preschool to senior high school in the city’s public schools.

Each package contains printed modules, parents’ journals, two washable face masks, and one OTG flash drive.

The city government also provided students with school supplies including textbooks and uniforms under Makati’s Project FREE (Free, Relevant, and Excellent Education).

The city government also launched the Makati mobile learning hub project, which aims to address the needs of students who do not have access to a device or internet connection.

Around 27 jeepneys converted into learning hubs, dubbed called “Dyipni Maki” and dispatched to the barangays from Monday to Saturday.

Each unit will be equipped with laptops and internet connection, as well as books and other learning materials. (PNA)