EXPLAINED: Online Distance Learning, Blended Distance Learning, Modular (Self-Learning Modules)

 For DCNHS Students

ONLINE DISTANCE LEARNING - Purely online learning. Online classes, discussions, activities, quizzes via Zoom, and Edmodo. Requires a laptop, a desktop computer, or a tablet, and a very strong internet connection.

BLENDED DISTANCE LEARNING - Learning is done through printed modules and limited online activities that do not require a laptop or desktop computer. Modules, books, and other learning resources can be ordered online thru Academic Panda and can be claimed from the nearest MRK facility. Students can communicate with their teachers via FB messenger. Answered modules can be returned to identified pick-up points.

PURE MODULE INSTRUCTION - Students will be provided printed modules. Answered modules will be retrieved by teachers assigned in the School Mobile Delivery Unit in strategic pick-up points. Purely modular.

ABLI NGA SULAT GIKAN SA USA KA MAGTUTUDLO

 Nunot sa pagkuyanap sa gikahadlokang sakit nga COVID-19, nagkalain-lain nga mga patakaran ang gimando sa atong gobyerno alang sa pagprotektar sa katawhan labi na sa nasod nga Pilipinhon. Lakip sa maong mga kamanduan ang mga hagit sa bag-o nga "normal" sa atong pagkinabuhi, pakiglambigit, ug ingon man ang pag-sagubang sa umaabot nga mga adlaw.

Tungod sa bag-o nga normal, nabag-ohan kitang tanan. Adunay mga bag-ong kausaban sa atong adlaw-adlaw nga pagpanglihok ug kalahian sa kanhi naandan.

Apan, bisan pa man sa mga dagkung kausbanan, hinaot nga kanunay sa gihapon natung hinumduman ang mga hiyas ug mga pamatasan nga gitudlo, gipamana sa atong mga katigulangan nga unta magpabilin ang mga maayung gawi ug pamatasan nga angayan natong ikinabuhi ug ampingan.

Alang sa mga ESTUDYANTE.

Dalayegon ang inyong pagpursige aron makapadayon kamo sa inyong edukasyon. Bisan pa man sa atong sitwasyon, maningkamot ang inyong mga magtutudlo aron kamo mahatagan sa edukasyon nga inyong gikinahanglan.

Apan bisan pa man adunay dagkong kausbanan sa atong pagkat-on, isipa sa gihapon nga kung unsa kadaku sa inyong respeto kanila kaiadto nga managkita pa sa eskwelahan, mas labing-ipakita ang inyong pagpalangga ug pagrespetar kanila niining panahona.

Kamo maka-laom nga ang inyong mga magtutudlo nagapadayon sa pagpalangga sa kaninyo Kamo makalaom nga sila dunay kasingkasing mosuporta.

Ayaw sila dali-dalia. Naningkamot ang inyong mga maestro ug maestra aron kamong tanan ma-serbisyohan ug maatiman ang inyong gikinahanglan. Kay kining tanan, parte sa among gipanumpaan. Apan among gikinahanglan usab ang inyong pagsabot, pag-respeto, ug paghunahuna usab sa among mga pagpangandam.

Alang sa mga GINIKANAN.

Among daku nga pagpasalamat sa inyong suporta alang sa atong pagtinabangay aron ang edukasyon sa atong mga kabataan magapadayon sa gihapon ug atang mahatagan sa dakung pagtagad!

Niining dakung hagit nga atung giatubang, daku ang among paglaom nga kita magmalampuson sa atong paggtinabangay kay kini atung giubanan sa hugot nga pagsalig ug pag-ampo sa Kahitas-an.

Among hangyo lamang ang suporta ug hataas nga pasensya niining panahona nga kamo ang mag-atiman sa inyong mga anak sa ilang pagkat-on diha sa inyong tagsa-tagsa ka mga panimalay. Kami maningkamot taman sa among makaya aron makapadayun sa gihapon paghatag sa serbisyo ug giya.

Sulod sa pipila ka mga katuigan, gipaningkamotan namong tanan nga ang atong pinalangga nga mga kabataan magiyahan ug makat-on sa mga butang nga magamit nila isip parte sa katilingban. Nasayod kami nga dili lalim ang pag-atiman sa inyong tagsa-tagsa ka mga anak niining panahonan. Nakasabot kami niana--ilabi na kay giagi-an namo kana sa atong eskwelahan sauna. Among tambag ug paglaum, nga hataasan pa gayud ang inyong pasensya niining mga butanga ug panahona hangtod nga mabalik na usab namo ang inyong mga kabataan kung mabalik na kita sa kanhi. Hinaut pa.

Kung ugaling nagkinahanglan kamo sa among tabang, kami andam ug tagana kutob sa among makaya.

Alang sa mga ISIG KA MAGTUTUDLO: mga kasama, mga kapatid, mga kaibigan, mga kapuso, mga kabarkada, mga kapamilya, friends, colleagues, ladies and gentlemen!

I commend all of us for what an amazing journey we're going through. As rough like a broken road as it may, knowing that you still survive that journey as of today is ENOUGH to give your shoulder a pat. We thank God for helping us all along.

The struggle may not be over yet but sometimes, we really have to remember just those "little things" worth celebrating to somehow give ourselves an encouragement and go one with our journey as a public servant, as a teacher, as a mother, as a father, as a brother, as a sister, or whatever role you play.

PRAY. Trust me, it works! And when you're okay, move on and work again. I am still new to the department. I still have a lot to learn from the "seasoned teachers" but my highest regards and respects to you all for ALL THE SLEEPLESS NIGHTS you've worked really hard just to prepare your modules, learning materials, tests, and others.

Now more than ever, we need each other. We need each other's support. Be a listening ear. Talk with a colleague. Kumustahan. I think it will result us a nice feeling.

Taliwala niining tanan, ayaw kalimti nga ikaw sama lang sad sa uban. Tawo ka, duna sad kay panginahanglan. Dakung hagit kanatong tanan ang pagbalanse ug pagtimbang-timbang, ilabi na ang pagmugna ug desisyon nga alang gayud sa kaayuhan natong tanan.

Ang tanan mong kahago tungod ug alang sa edukasyon sa imong umaabot mga estudyante magbunga gayud ug maayo ilabi na kay imong kauban ang Dios. Padayona lang ang pagsalig sa Ginoo tungod kay dili ka Niya pasagdan.

Alang sa mga office staff, security guards, ug uban pa. Kaninyong tanan, daghang salamat! Aduna kamoy dakung bahin sa kalampusan natong tanan. Hinaot nga magapadayun ang inyong kalipay sa pag-atiman, pag-alima, ug pagbuhat sa mga butang nga duna gayuy dakung parte alang sa atong kalampusan.

Alang sa mga GAHUPOT SA RENDA SA PANGAGAMHANAN sa eskwelahan, sa division, ug sa atong lokal nga kagamhanan.

Dawata ang among daku nga pagsalig ug pasidungog kaninyong tanan. Nasayod kami nga ang inyong mga plano ug mga kalagdaan nga giimplimintar alang lamang gayud sa atong kaayuhan.

Sa inyong padayon nga suporta ug pag-atiman sa inyong mga nasakopan, kami magalaom nga dili gayud ninyo kami pasagdan.

HINAUT PA. Hinaut pa.

-JRB
08052020

Inablihang Sulat Alang sa mga Ginikanan

 Mga Tinahod nga Mga Ginikanan,

Kumusta?

Among panghinaot nga anaa kamo sa kapiskay sa inyong panglawas.

Kaming mga maestro ug maestra mapasalamaton gayud sa inyong pagsalig sa DepEd sukad sauna labi na gayud karong panahona.

Dili matukib sa pulong ang among pagpasalamat sa inyong pagsalig ug suporta aron lamang magapadayun ang edukasyon sa inyong mga anak, nga ingong gitugyan kanamo sauna hangtod karon.

Niining higayona, kami magatuktok na usab sa inyong mga kasingkasing aron ang inyong mga anak magabayan sa gihapon.

Kamo makalaom nga among buhaton gihapon ang taman sa among makaya aron maka-alagad gihapon kanila kauban ang among mga lider sa departamento, principal, ug uban pa. Daghang salamat sa inyong pagdawat sa hagit nga karon kamo na usab ang adunay dakung bahin aron mogiya sa pag-eskwela sa inyong mga anak diha sa tagsa-tagsa ninyo ka mga pinuy-anan.

Daghang salamat sa inyong hataas nga pasensya. Nanghinaot kami nga magkakita-kita pa gayud kita sa umaabot.

Kauban natu ang Ginoo ilabi na gayud niining panahona.

Kaninyo matinahuron ug mapasalamaton,

Mga Maestro ug Maestra

#newnormal #PadayonLang

An Open Letter

 I stood my ground and worked silently along with the rest of my colleagues but I am compelled to write this because there are those critical of teachers kesyo wala daw gitrabaho ang teachers karon. Actually, gatrabaho. Most of us are not posting lang the work we do in social media. In the first place, what for?

As a matter of fact, the whole school year daghan trabaho ang teachers. We are not posting them all lang because of personal reasons, Data Privacy Law, ug uban pang applicable laws.

Sa pagkatinuod, ang teacher kay nurse, doctor, engineer, chef, engineer, foreman, elecrician, janitor, stylist, choreographer, dancer, singer, clown, mama, papa, ate, kuya etc sa eskwelahan. Name it. We have a lot of work to do in school but many of us also bring these works at home and I have personally known many teachers burning their midnight oil. Sleepless nights? Daghan. Sacrifices? Sobra. But still we did not let go because we love our job. We love our students. We love the Filipinos. We love the Philippines. We are inspired by our leaders. We love.

We love because we are humans. Humans. Just like you, we are also human beings. Not robots. We are bound to feel, and sometimes, to fail. We cannot do everything. We are not machines. Machines even need to rest and be refreshed.

Teachers feel anxiety too. Our faith in God though tells us we have the confidence to move on and do our duties and responsibilities without hesitation. After all, God is bigger than any other.
---------
Something Personal

The next part is something personal.

The past weeks had been so crucial to many of us and I for one, even if I endured some fever and vertigo these days had tasks to accomplish: submit weekly reports, generate and analyze enrollment data, validate enrollment applicants, contact transferees, organize my own advisory class, contact them one by one to finalize their choice of learning modality, constantly update everyone, host Zoom Meetings and many other things required of us. On top of these, together with Ma'am Pua, we are also operating the hotline numbers of the school for enrollment concerns and we talk to parents, students, and answer their calls and inquiries.

Many other teachers have even bigger and more complicated tasks than mine, than ours. But still, not one of us complained.

December 2 last year, I was confined to a government hospital after I suffered high fever for several days. Later on, I was diagnosed with Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV) by my attending physician.

They had to inject higher dose of antibiotics through the dextrose attached to my hands regularly. It was costly and normally would be painful but I didn't feel any pain at all.

Other church mates and concerned friends and colleagues visited me back then, and I truly appreciate their encouragement even if I wasn't well at those times. I thought their presence and prayers helped my immediate recovery.

I can still recall that it took me around 12 hours at the emergency room while waiting for a vacant ward. My fever would not subside. I thought I was floating, out of balance. Basically without strength. I had to be accompanied by my Mama and my brother if I needed to walk. Otherwise, I'd fall. Everything was completely new to me. First time in my life.

Even if I was dizzy and all, I was not given any medicine at that time. Some doctors and nurses were too busy treating patients with "more serious conditions."

It was not until the 11th hour or so from the time of our arrival at the emergency room was I given paracetamol by one of the nurses after my mother insisted because they thought my condition got worse. Thanks to our pastor and some church mates who were with us at that time until I was transferred to a room.

In my 12-hour stay at the emergency room, I noticed there were several patients coming in that emergency room. I saw how medical workers tried to revive some patients. Many were revived, but some were lost. At that time, I witnessed around 4 deaths from patients of different cases--drowning, road mishaps, old age, and more. Was it a traumatic experience for me? Yes.

But do I still want to be a teacher? Definitely yes! Para sa mga bata, para sa bayan. Para sa pamilya. Para sa Dios.

To our leaders, thank you for pushing us to our limits!

To my colleagues, laban lang!

Now more than ever, we have to be united. There should not be room for hatred, but love. There shouldn't be any cause of misunderstanding, but love.

Let us pray that GOD'S TIME NOW and GOD'S WILL BE DONE. NOW.

Self-Care During the Pandemic

 Self-Care During a Pandemic

For many of us, the pandemic has disrupted our daily routines, especially those related to self-care. Here are some active steps you can take to nurture your well-being during this difficult period.

Set up a daily routine

This can provide some much-needed structure to your days. Try to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day. Create a routine that works for you.

Pick up a hobby

If your schedule permits it, engaging in a new hobby like reading, knitting, playing fun board games, or cooking can act as a great stress-buster.

Eat healthy, well-balanced meals

This is a good time to try new recipes and get creative with your cooking. Maintaining regular meal times is also helpful for your health and general well-being.

Stay connected

Humans are social creatures and engaging with others is really important for our emotional health. Apart from phone and video calls, online hobby classes and social media can also help you stay in touch.

Practice Gratitude

It is easy to get overwhelmed by all the worrying news surrounding us. Create a little time during the day to focus on the positives in your life, through journaling or simple reflection.

Make time to disconnect

Make some time during the day to disengage from the news and other activities. Use this time to rest and recover your energy.

Above all, PRAY.

Adapted from IndiaBioScience.

The Accident: May 24, 2020

9PM. It was unexpected, & sudden. It really was my first time. But when my motorcycle was down and I felt I was already at the distance, the thought that "ah, ingon ani diay feeling ug na ka sa diagrasya. At first I was helpless and I accepted na wala na koy mahimo but to endure.

There was no pain or whatsoever. I didn't even hear the thug if there was. I just found myself in a state of Oblivion. Wala na koy mahimo because natumba na ang motor. Then I felt nga nasukamod na ko sa dalan. I felt the sensation while nabagnos akong nawong sa karsada.


After that slit moment nga okay, wala na koy mahimo Kay diagrasya na man Jud ni, then nibangon ko, and tried to pull up my motorcycle. Then I realized nga nibangga diay ko sa sakyanan nga naka park. Then people started to come. One man helped nga mapatindog akong motor.


The vehicle owner came. They inspected their car. I apologized. They said daku magasto pa ayo sa car. The car plastic cover was torn. It seems that there was a long scratch in the car. I maintained my composure, though apologetic. After a few minutes of inspection by the owner...


The owner found out it wasn't a scratch after all, but remnants of the torn plastic cover of the car. I said, "thank you Lord." He mentioned He will need to have the plastic cover paid, it was purchased online. I said yes. He said we will talk again tomorrow at 7am.


I can say that in that experience, God saved me. How I got away from the motorcycle to the concrete is something that I can't recall. I suffered minor injuries to the left side of my lips, nose and cheeks, right elbow, left forearm, left knee. The car damage also wasn't severe.


I can't sleep well.


The pain wasn't imminent during the accident. It was painful by the time I was at home na.


God, thank you sa another chance nga mabuhi ko.. thank You nga gitabangan ko Nimo... Wala koy mahimo Kung wala ko nimo tabangi... Akong isalig nimo ang tanan.

What it Means to Commit to the Lord

This life revolves around goals we have whether they be short term or long term. The point is that if you have no goals, it’s very clear that you’re not moving toward anything of great significance. By the way, your life isn’t that meaningful due to the fact that you don’t really have something that you’re working on in order to improve the overall quality of it in the long run.

The Word of God boldly declares that where there’s no vision, the people perish (Proverbs 29:18). Therefore the same thing also applies equally to your personal life. The reason is that if you don’t have any visions at all, you’re compromising your whole life for a miserable future.

Having goals is undoubtedly very important; however, not every goal people have will actually succeed. It’s quite unfortunate that in many cases people have dedicated their entire times and efforts working on goals that will eventually fail miserably. Even though some of them may succeed, but the problem is that they don’t really bring forth the type of lasting peace, joy, and fulfillment that God would like them to experience. To put it differently, their goals don’t take them to the place that God would want them to be.

The question is how can we ensure that our goals revolve around God? How do we also ensure that our goals don’t become an impediment to God’s plans and purposes for our lives? How do we make sure that God’s will for our lives is put ahead of own ambition and agenda? Well, it’s worthwhile that we consider these Scripture verses below in order for us to get a clear understanding regarding that issue.

Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and He will establish your plans (Proverbs 16:3).

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;  in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight (Proverbs 3:5-6).

The first Scripture verse sounds very vague and broad due to the fact that it doesn’t specify any conditions whatsoever. Nevertheless, the ideal way of trying to understand this verse is to hook it up to the second verse which is found in (Proverbs 3:5-6). First, our knowledge and understanding are very limited while God has perfect and absolute knowledge and understanding. The very things that we’re striving for may not be the things that God would want us to have.

Practical Application

Since God is asking us to trust Him wholeheartedly and not lean on our own human understanding, this will make sure that we seek His will first by acknowledging our own human limitations. When we trust God in such manner, we allow Him to have His ways in us. We also allow Him to control the circumstances. So it’s no longer about what we want done in accordance with what we believe is the right thing to do. Instead, it becomes all about us allowing the all-knowing God to guide us wherever fits His perfect will for our lives.

We can strongly rely on the fact that an all-knowing God will never lead His beloved children to failure. In that case, the best way of pursuing our goals is to let God determine what should be done and when it should be done. The good news is that when we consult Him before we start working on any plans we have in a patient and obedient fashion, He’ll make His will plain to us. That’s exactly what it means to have our plans established by Him.

Today's Prayer

Heavenly Father, we genuinely acknowledge the fact that we only know and understand partially while You know and understand everything perfectly. Lot of time we ignore that as a result of being pressed by time, curiosity, worry, impatience, and so forth. What a bad idea for us to live our lives going after things that won’t do us any good in the long run since they are outside of Your will for our lives.

We pray that You give us what it takes, so that we can strive to make sure that we find ourselves at the center of Your will. Whatever goals and visions that we have, it’s guaranteed that they will all come to pass if they are consistent with Your perfect will. We pray that You empower us to live a life marked by complete reliance on You along with that You’re able to do for us within Your perfect will and timing for Your own glory. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Reference: Living for Jesus Alone

EXPLAINER: The Novel Coronavirus' Effects to the Philippines, and What We Can Do About It

It happened swiftly. Everyone was caught off-guard; even the strongest and the wealthiest nation in the planet bowed down due to the ill-fated COVID-19 pandemic. 

According to the World Health Organization, the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by a new strain of coronavirus. This new virus and disease were unknown before the outbreak began in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. The disease causes respiratory illness (like the flu) with symptoms such as a cough, fever, and in more severe cases, difficulty breathing. According to health authorities, you can protect yourself by washing your hands frequently, avoiding touching your face, and avoiding close contact (1 meter or 3 feet) with people who are unwell.

As of this writing, there has been 1, 363, 365 total of reported confirmed positive cases worldwide, 292, 467 recoveries, and 76, 507 deaths. Of course, this data changes so rapidly. These confirmed cases aren't all cases. They only include people who tested positive. Testing rules and availability vary from country to country. Today, DOH reports 104 new COVID-19 cases, 14 new deaths, and 11 new recoveries.This brings the totals to 3,764 confirmed cases, 177 deaths, and 84 recoveries as of 4pm today, April 7.

As previous routines in our daily lives were greatly affected, we notice a multitude of stories from all across the globe how the weak and the strong, the rich and the poor struggled to survive. Unimaginable horrific situations from various hospitals and medical facilities stormed the news outlets and social media platforms brought about by the devastation caused by the novel corona virus. As more and more countries report daily rise of infected persons and fatalities, the world is in panic as governments look for vaccines and medicines for this disease. In fact, solidarity tests and trials are in place between medical facilities following strict protocol of the World Health Organization.

In the Philippines, the government declared the whole country in a state of national emergency as early as March this year. The crisis later turned out really futile as local transmissions emerged from a number of local towns and cities. To stop the widespread infection, and in the hope of containing the virus, the Department of Health, have urged the public to observe extreme measures such as constant hand washing, social and physical distancing, and among others. Extreme situations calls for extreme actions, they say. With this, the government formed the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) that meets everyday to tackle this emergency situation. One of the things that were imposed is the on-going "lockdown" and placing parts of the country to enhanced community quarantine.

Business establishments were shut down, schools were closed, churches and other institutions were forced to temporarily stop serving the public. Private offices, factories, car repair shops and malls have closed. The entire country is under strict quarantine and the army and other enforcers are on the streets to monitor compliance.The homeless were forced to vacate their abode and were rescued to temporary shelters prepared by local government units for them.  In fact, some public areas were converted to temporary quarantine facilities.

With the implementation of enhanced community quarantine and among others, most Filipinos were forced unemployed. While other establishments and government offices impose work-from-home measures, many other workers and other vulnerable sectors were having hard times to cope up with the situation. The Department of Labor and Employment answered this by giving out financial assistance to affected vulnerable individuals.

Those still working in hospitals have their hands full dealing with the outbreak. They are modern-day heroes sacrificing and doing what they can to fight in the midst of insufficient personal protective equipment (PPE), uncertainties, and the like. At first, even those from private hospitals were overwhelmed with the situation. To add to the dilemma, a number of health workers have been infected, and worst, some even died from the virus. Their infection and death is attributed to patient's who lied travel histories, exposure to COVID patients, and among others. With hospitals preparing for an expected surge in cases in the weeks ahead, the race is on to get doctors and nurses the equipment they need in time. At some point in time, the lack of funds has even forced some health care professionals to go ‘begging on social media’ for personal protective equipment amid the outbreak. Fortunately, a number of individuals, celebrities, social media influencers, politicians, business establishments, and other organizations heed the call. Truly, angels emerged and stories of compassion have been flooding our newsfeeds as well--we will focus our next post about that.

The government is on top of the situation and in fact, fast tracked whatever means that can be done in light with the situation. Measures and actions of the government mentioned here are only some of the several ways they have adopted throughout the whole country. Thankfully, local government units are also actively engaged towards the matter. Truthfully, everyone is doing their best in our quest to bring back what was normal. On the other hand, other government agencies are also crowdsourcing as we they look forward to implement the "new normal."

According to the Department of Health website, there’s currently no vaccine to prevent coronavirus disease (COVID-19). 

The website further cited that you can protect yourself and help prevent spreading the virus to others if you:

• Wash your hands regularly for 20 seconds, with soap and water or alcohol-based hand rub.
• Cover your nose and mouth with a disposable tissue or flexed elbow when you cough or sneeze.
• Avoid close contact (1 meter or 3 feet) with people who are unwell.
• Stay home and self-isolate from others in the household if you feel unwell. 
• Don't touch your eyes, nose, or mouth if your hands are not clean.

While the rest of the world is busy tackling this crisis, all we can do for now is to stay at home and keep on praying for the safety of our families, for the healing of those who are sick, for the strength and courage to our health workers, for the success of our government, and for this COVID-19 pandemic to end as soon as possible.

 *********************************************************************

References:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2019%E2%80%9320_coronavirus_pandemic_by_country_and_territory

https://www.who.int/

 https://www.doh.gov.ph/

https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/nation/733003/philippines-covid-19-deaths-now-177-cases-climb-to-3-764/story/?utm_source=GMANews&utm_medium=Facebook&fbclid=IwAR0UCBY8xcGTfyOv5R_9yXKC7MJ6oo8FJ0qeHYUKAyFhrlOeT75mPleV7rk