21/05/2026
𝐒𝐃𝐒 𝐡𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 𝐬𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐥 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞, 𝐒𝐇𝐒 𝐫𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐬, 𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐝𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐃𝐎𝐌𝐏 𝐐𝟐 𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭
BONTOC, Mountain Province. Schools Division Superintendent (SDS) Benilda M. Daytaca highlighted learning gaps, senior high school reforms, and operational priorities as the Schools Division Office of Mountain Province (SDOMP) conducted its second quarter School Heads Engagement and Coaching on May 19, 2026, at the Multi-Purpose Building in Poblacion, Bontoc.
One of the highlights of the activity was the SDS’s presentation of the Regional Achievement Test (RAT) 2025–2026 results, which revealed uneven learning outcomes across districts and challenges in key learning areas, particularly Mathematics.
According to the SDS, Grade 6 learners generally outperformed Grade 10 students, pointing to possible gaps in learning retention and transition as students move to higher grade levels.
Among Grade 10 learners, Sagada, Bauko I, and Tadian II emerged as the top-performing districts, while Paracelis North, Besao, and Paracelis South posted lower overall scores. For Grade 6, Paracelis South, Sagada, and Tadian I led the ranking.
Daytaca identified Mathematics as the weakest subject across the division, noting that no Grade 10 learner reached the highly proficient level. Most students remained within the Nearly Proficient category, showing that many learners are progressing but have yet to fully master required competencies.
In contrast, Araling Panlipunan recorded the strongest results, while English, Science, and Filipino showed moderate but uneven performance across districts.
The SDS stressed that improving learner achievement requires more than infrastructure development. Although 35 secondary schools underwent facility improvements between 2021 and 2026, only one school reached the proficient level in overall performance.
She directed schools to strengthen root cause analysis, revisit school improvement plans, and implement targeted interventions, particularly in Mathematics and Science, while addressing learner disengagement and absenteeism.
Beyond learner performance, the strengthened Senior High School (SHS) curriculum was also discussed, presented by Education Program Supervisor for Science Nemia N. Lite. The revised curriculum reduces the previous four-track system into two main tracks, Academic and Technical-Professional (TechPro), while introducing elective clusters that allow learners greater flexibility in choosing subjects aligned with their interests and career goals.
Lite also explained that SHS core subjects have been reduced from 15 to five, namely Effective Communication, General Mathematics, General Science, Readings in Philippine History, and Understanding the Self, all aligned with higher education standards to help ensure a smoother college transition.
Meanwhile, Administrative Officer V Mildred Ayeo provided updates on personnel and administrative concerns, reporting progress in the division’s Expanded Career Progression (ECP) program, with most applications already validated.
Ayeo also announced updates on employee benefits, including the release of salary differentials and midyear bonuses, as well as the processing of the Special Hardship Allowance for eligible personnel. However, officials raised concern over the low registration rate in the GSIS Touch digital platform and reminded school heads to ensure compliance.
Operational concerns discussed during the engagement included insufficient documentation for service credits, delayed reporting requirements, and funding limitations for substitute teachers.
For school governance concerns, Planning Officer III Jasmine Angela A. Calngan reminded school heads of key deadlines for Brigada Eskwela 2026, which will run from June 1 to 5, with monitoring scheduled from June 8 to 11. Schools were also instructed to finalize and submit their School Annual Implementation Plans (SAIP) and Modified Annual Procurement Plans by June 30.
Calngan also indicated the declining learner completion rates from elementary to senior high school, noting that loss of interest in studying remains the leading cause of student dropout.
On accountability measures, OIC-Assistant Schools Division Superintendent John M. Libongen discussed the Office Performance Commitment and Review Form (OPCRF) framework for School Years 2025–2027, emphasizing performance targets related to learner achievement, reading proficiency, and school leadership.
Libongen likewise introduced the Strategic Student Home Visitation Protocol, a structured intervention process designed to support at-risk learners through coordinated home visits, parent engagement, and follow-up monitoring.
For Curriculum Implementation Division (CID) concerns, Education Program Supervisor for TLE Agrifina M. Lumpisa reported a 99.08 percent accuracy rate in the review of school forms for School Year 2025–2026, although some learner records still showed incomplete documents and inconsistencies.
Lumpisa also reported 100 percent compliance in the submission of school site data and documents to the central office, an important step toward securing land ownership and legal documentation for schools across the province.
The activity also included discussions on the status of the Mountain Province School Teachers and Employees Association (MPSTEA), which is strengthening membership campaigns amid declining participation.
Consequently, SDS Daytaca emphasized the importance of shared responsibility and commitment among school leaders.
“We take care of our department. We take care of our leaders who stand for us. We manifest our being a teacher and being a civil servant,” she said.
