Sen. Win Gatchalian presides over the Committee on Ways and Means hearing on various measures seeking to impose value-added tax (VAT) on digital transactions Thursday, July 6, 2023. Gatchalian pointed out that imposing VAT on digital revenues will help shore up the country’s national revenues, which fell as a result of the government’s multiple-pronged programs to stave off the COVID-19 crisis’ worst consequences. “We all know that we are still reeling from the pandemic, as well as high inflation in the past few years. The committee is in unison with the national government in its quest of increasing revenue take to help support priority programs of the government,” the Committee on Ways and Means chairperson said. Furthermore, Gatchalian stressed that the measures will help provide a fair playing field between physical transactions and online transactions. Joseph Vidal,  Senate PRIB

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Victoria Tulad

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Dr. Karol Mark Yee, Executive Director of the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM II), said based on their analysis, Catch Up Fridays has some loopholes.Catch Up Fridays is a component of the National Learning Recovery Program.&quot;Catch Up Fridays is not structured to optimize learning recovery,&quot; Yee said.&quot;Teachers complained about the lack of training, the lack of lesson guides, and the lack of learning resources on the ground and also that it did not use targeting, there was no real grouping by ability, which are really the effective mechanisms to ensure learning recovery,&quot; Yee added.He also cited the National Mathematics Program and National Science and Technology Program, all parts of the National Learning Recovery Program, which do not have policy guidelines yet and have not been implemented.Yee also touched on the National Learning Camp, which is another component, and said that only nine days were actually spent in teaching students and not a month.Gatchalian, for his part, said he was shocked that &quot;very basic&quot; math was taught in the learning camp, which is different from the more advanced math being taught in regular classes.He also said less than half of students in the camp passed the intervention program.&quot;The National Learning Recovery Program is a good program. But it seems to me it&#39;s not hitting the right clientele, not delivering the outcome that will help our students keep up with their grade level,&quot; Gatchalian said. &quot;This program needs massive, massive reforms.&quot;&quot;We are actually promoting students who cannot count and cannot read,&quot; he added.<a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/7/27/decades-old-plight-newer-challenges-loom-as-philippines-enters-new-school-year-1006">READ: Decades-old plight, newer challenges loom as Philippines enters new school year</a>ANGARA: DEPED OPEN TO REFORMSIn a press conference, DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara said he is open to reforms.&quot;Definitely makikinig tayo sa ating chairpersons in the Senate, in the House dahil mga dalubhasa &#39;yan (We will listen to our chairpersons in the Senate, in the House because they are experts),&quot; Angara said.Angara cited the need to have measurement tools to track the progress of learners.&quot;May programa tayo pero &#39;di natin nasusukat ang progress ng ating programa. Dapat &#39;yung Number One diyan sukatin mo muna nasaan tayo ngayon at after the intervention asan sila pagkatapos para alam mo kung epektibo yung intervention,&quot; Angara explained.(We have a program but we do not measure its progress. Number one should be to measure where we are now and measure after the intervention to see if it&#39;s effective.)<a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/8/7/ca-confirms-angara-s-appointment-as-deped-chief-1632">READ: CA confirms Angara&#39;s appointment as DepEd chief</a>SCHOOL OPENINGAfter the delay in school opening due to the onslaught of Typhoon Carina and the southwest monsoon, DepEd reported that all schools in the country have opened as of August 5.Enrollment is currently at 24 million, which is 85 percent of the total target 27 million.According to DepEd Assistant Secretary Francis Bringas, around 150,000 classrooms are needed, especially with congestion still being a problem. An estimated P750 billion pesos must be allotted for their construction.Congestion is currently high in the National Capital Region (NCR), Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), Central Visayas and Calabarzon.MATATAG CURRICULUMMeanwhile, Angara said they will look into the Matatag Curriculum to address the long working hours of teachers.Angara said the actual teaching hours can be a maximum of six hours.&quot;Napakinggan din natin komento sa Matatag curriculum wala raw pahinga (We have heard comments that there is no rest in the Matatag curriculum). We will amend the curriculum going forward,&quot; Angara said.As to the use of cellphones in schools, Angara said this has long been prohibited for students.RELATED VIDEO:<iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/fJnpNUAE8oI?&wmode=opaque&rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe>

MANILA &mdash; &quot;Massive&quot; reform is needed for the Department of Education&#39;s (DepEd) National Learning Recovery Program, according to Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian.Criticisms of the program came up during the hearing of the Senate Committee on Basic Education on Wednesday.

“Massive” reform is needed for the Department of Education’s (DepEd) National Learning Recovery Program, according to Senator Sherwin Gatchalian.

“Massive” reform is needed for the Department of Education’s (DepEd) National Learning Recovery Program, according to Senator Sherwin Gatchalian.

Sen. Gatchalian says 'massive' reform needed in DepEd | ABS-CBN News

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Sen. Gatchalian says 'massive' reform needed in DepEd

Sen. Gatchalian says 'massive' reform needed in DepEd