March 29, 2024

Graduating senior high school students of Benguet National High School were allowed to do an immersion such as serving teachers on training at the Department of Education-Cordillera compound.
BNHS and DepEd-CAR recently signed a memorandum of agreement for partnership as a way to help the graduating students under the Technical Vocational Livelihood (TVL) track to conduct their on-the-job training. 
DepEd-CAR Director Estela Cariño said they recognized the difficulty of senior high school students to conduct immersion in this pandemic. 
“That’s why we began serving food at the National Educators Academy of the Philippines building.One of the major reasons we started is that at least we are helping our learners from BeNHS who have no place for immersion,” Cariño said.
She said they have recently hired a cook that will oversee the students as well as in the purchase of materials needed for the food service. The NEAP building, located at the DepEd-CAR compound, is where the regional office conducts regular trainings for teachers and non-teaching personnel.
She said they have assured the safety of the students undergoing immersion, with proper observance of health protocols, and have paid for their insurance under Red Cross.
Grade 12 student Jophere Catanes, one of the learners undergoing immersion for his Home Economics course, said the activity is important for the application of the skills they have learned.
“This is much better than working inside our own house and this is an experience we cannot learn in school alone because we are exposed on the real situation of food handling and service,” Catanes said.
He added there are 18 of them in the class who are undergoing one-month immersion.
BNHS Principal Nestor Dalayon said the school is open to some senior high students who do not have equipment at home to apply their skills.
For the TVL track, some teachers would require the students to apply their skills at home and send it through video clip as their requirement.
Cariño said they have encouraged the concerned schools to look for available establishments where their students can conduct immersion.
She said learners are required to undergo 80-hour immersion but it could be adjusted with the current situation.
DepEd officials are in constant discussion with the schools to address the learning gaps of students in this pandemic. – Ofelia C. Empian