While there was indeed no formal approval from the Department of Education (DepEd), Vice President Leni Robredo’s office coordinated with the agency’s local offices and local government units to implement its community learning hubs.

Robredo’s spokesperson Barry Gutierrez told this to Rappler on Wednesday, November 25, when sought to clarify details regarding the Office of the Vice President’s (OVP) learning hubs that were now under scrutiny by Malacañang.

“Some would respond and thank us for the initiative. Others would coordinate with OVP and the LGU for implementation,” Gutierrez said regarding the local DepEd offices.

He said the local DepEd offices responded “positively” to the OVP about the project except in Caloocan City, where education officials referred them instead to the mayor’s office. The proposed learning hub in Caloocan was ultimately scrapped. 

Robredo kicked off her community learning hubs project in October 19 to benefit students who have to take their classes online but have no access to gadgets and strong internet connection at home. (READ: Parents bear the brunt of distance learning as classes shift online)

At the hubs, students could use the computers for free to download and print their learning modules. Tutorial lessons for particular subjects were also offered at the learning hubs. 

Health and physical distancing protocols were followed to ensure that the learners, parents, and tutors were protected from the coronavirus. 

They were required to always wear their face masks. The hubs were regularly disinfected, while alcohol, soap, and water were always available for their use.

To date, the OVP has 12 learning hubs found in these areas: 

• Pasig City
• Tatay, Rizal
• Himamaylan City, Negros Occidental (2 hubs)
• San Jose, Camarines Sur
• Barangay 11 in Lucena City, Quezon
• Barangay Dalahican in Lucena City, Quezon
• Tabaco, Albay
• Sampaloc, Manila
• Alcantara, Romblon
• Barugo, Leyte
• Balete, Aklan

The OVP’s learning hubs became the subject of headlines on Tuesday, November 24, after Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque asked DepEd Secretary Leonor Briones during a televised briefing to clarify the OVP’s supposed joint project with the department.

Briones then said DepEd did not officially approve the project. But Gutierrez argued DepEd did not explicitly tell the OVP to stop the project either.

“No. Neither did they say anything to indicate that it would ‘require’ their approval. But the fact is, they knew from the start about the initiative, they were furnished with all the details of implementation, and at no point [did] they raise any objection,” Gutierrez said.

He said the OVP was now “evaluating” its operations for the learning hubs and would seek “further clarification/guidance from DepEd.”

Official letters between Robredo, Briones

The OVP sent media copies of Robredo’s official correspondence with DepEd regarding the hubs and other policy proposals to address issues raised regarding distance learning.

In the first letter dated August 10, the Vice President recommended several solutions to assist students, parents, and teachers during distance learning, including the proposal to put up the hubs. 

Briones replied to Robredo on August 23, telling the Vice President in particular that the learning hubs proposal was a “good initiative.”

“The setting-up of internet hubs in schools and communities is a good initiative, and we will be happy to receive further details from your office how you envision this to happen, so we may be able to evaluate the feasibility of implementing such a program at scale,” Briones said in the letter.

The DepEd chief then requested for more details on the project. Robredo sent these information to Briones in another letter dated September 4. DepEd did not set further replies after that. 

The OVP would still push through in setting up these hubs, with proper coordination with local DepEd offices and LGUs.

Schools in the country opened in the middle of the pandemic using distance learning – a mix of online learning and modules – following Preesident Rodrigo Duterte’s directive to suspend face-to-face classes until a COVID-19 vaccine becomes available.

But access to technology remains a huge problem for students and teachers alike, especially those from families who were affeceed by the economic downturn caused by the pandemic. – Rappler.com