Finally, the regional education councils in BARMM broke through and refreshed expectations about where the future of its education mission is heading.
Its Regional Education Council or REC, fueled by renewed vitality, optimism and forward-looking outlook and instilled with the spirit of Synergeia’s belief in BARMM’s capacity for change, proved its significance and critical role in shaping and nurturing the education and learning capabilities of its young students, particularly in boosting reading performance.
The agenda of the RECs was rich and powered by 56 attendees of strong governance backgrounds which resulted in an open and engaging discussion of insights, perspectives and actions on its uptake of pressing education issues and challenges besetting its education plan and programs.
These attendees included,
- DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian (Former Synergeia Mayor/Education Champion);
- DILG Director Richard Villacorte, Support to Local Governance Development (SLGP);
- Former Mayor Oscar Moreno
- 3 BARMM Members of Parliament and 1 Vice Governor; and
- 24 Mayors and Vice Mayors from Central Mindanao, Lanao del Sur and Sulu.
Clearly, the REC as a potent mechanism for change and transformation in education cannot be overlooked. The sharing of experiences, including that of Valenzuela City in the effective implementation of its reading program and the success of the Proof of Concept initiative in the Province of Iloilo, triggered a collective buy-in of how BARMM, through the REC, can scale-up its education innovations and ultimately follow the path of these model local communities.
