ECCD 2020 Accomplishments amid pandemic

Despite of the challenges brought about by the pandemic, Covid 19 which resulted in various forms of community quarantine, it did not stopped the delivery of Early Childhood and Care Development (ECCD) Programs in the province of South Cotabato.

The ECCD Provincial Focal Person, Ms. Sonia L. Bautista, RSW said “the ECCD council committed to ensure that all programs for the year, 2020 will be accomplished.” Continued early learning programs to children ages 0 – 4, which will contribute in bringing the center’s activities normally for young learners’s development are provided with positive learning environment.

Considering the situation of all Local Government Units (LGUs’) in the province the general guidelines of Alternative Mode of Learning Delivery or known as Q-ECCD was acted accordingly by the provincial government.

Forty (40) week session training on Curriculum Planning guide was conducted which were attended actively by the Officers of the South Cotabato Federation of Child Development Worker’s Inc. The Provincial Government appropriated Php260,000 for the said training. The municipalities of Sto. Niño, Tantangan, Lake Sebu, Banga, Surallah, Polomolok, Tupi, Tampakan, Tboli and Norala availed the training and the City of Koronadal. The training had the goal to roll out with thr 634 Day Care workers of South Cotabato in their respective LGU .

For Infrastructure Projects, through the leadership of Governor Reynaldo S. Tamayo, Jr., a total of Php11Million is allotted for the construction of Day Care Centers (DCC), with Php1Million per center. The personnel from the Provincial Engineering Office (PEO) and the ECCD staff conducted inspection and validation to the following recipients:

New Iloilo DCC, Brgy. New Iloilo, Tantangan, Sitio Diawe DCC,, Brgy. Rubber, Polomolok, Crossing Palkan DCC, Brgy. Palkan, Polomolok, Magsaysay DCC, Brgy Magsaysay, Polomolok, Sitio Tuburan DCC, Brgy. Cinco, Banga, Bagong Lipunan DCC, Brgy. Tubi-ala, Surallah, San Pedro DCC, Brgy. Poblacion Norala, Brgy. Pait DCC, Tantangan, Spring II DCC, Brgy. Cebuano, Tupi, Megaland Subdivision DCC, Brgy. Carpenter Hill, Koronadal City and Sta. Cruz DCC, Brgy. Sta. Cruz Koronadal City

This year, 634 Day Care workers from different  LGUs’ availed of the increased honorarium from Php300 to Php400 per month which they received quarterly. Though, the said amount was not so big but it means a lot to them. Food packs were also given to Day Care workers and distributed to major officers of Kalipunan Ng Liping Pilipina (KALIPI) women from different municipalities.

For the first semester of the year, 2020 a total of 11 Day Care Centers and Workers underwent accreditation. This is to ensure that ECCD programs were implemented based on the standard set by the Department of Social l Welfare Development Central Office Bureau of Standard.

Amidst the Covid 19 pandemic, Day Care Workers continued their advocacy  in mapping out children ages 3 – 4 years old in their areas of responsibility.

 This program was spearheaded by the Provincial Social Welfare Development Office (PSWDO),   the Federation of Child Development Workers Incorporated which is an organized and active People’s’ organization conducted their regular meetings which discussed issues and concerns to Early Childhood and Care Development (ECCD) program implementation.