RAFI, DepEd Inks Pact to Teach Bugsay Philosophy to Grade 3 Pupils

The Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. (RAFI) and the Department of Education (DepEd)-7 signed on Wednesday an agreement for the integration of the Bugsay philosophy of Mr. Roberto E. Aboitiz in the primary education’s curriculum.

No less than Mr. Aboitiz, RAFI president, signed the agreement on behalf of the foundation, while DepEd-7 was represented by Regional Director Carmelita Dulangon, for the piloting of Akong Bugsay learning materials in 20 selected public elementary schools in the 10 divisions of Cebu for the School Year 2014-2015.

DepEd-7 and RAFI worked together in coming up with the Bugsay learning materials, namely the Akong Bugsay Workbook, Akong Bugsay Workbook Teacher’s Guide, and Akong Bugsay teaching aid.

Akong Bugsay, a bi-lingual (Cebuano and English) children’s book written by Amaya Aboitiz based on the Bugsay philosophy of her father, Roberto Aboitiz, speaks about having a goal, planning well, and working hard to achieve it, which Mr. Aboitiz likes to share to the younger Cebuano generations.

“It is the dream of Mr. Roberto Aboitiz to share and inculcate into the minds of the children the value of hard work, goal setting, and planning for the future. The workbook is aligned with DepEd competencies. It contains varied activities that will develop the critical thinking skill of the learners. I am sure that the learners will like and love it,” said DepEd-7 Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual Education (MTB-MLE) Coordinator Nena V. Miñoza.

“(Akong Bugsay) is a story of a boy who has strong courage and determination to reach his goal….We hope that through the workbook, the children would be morally developed, their goals in life would be achieved, and that they would become productive and useful citizens (later on),” Miñoza said.

Aboitiz said that while Akong Bugsay is a children’s book, its lessons are not just for kids. He said it is actually a business philosophy that everyone could adopt, and it is something he likes to share to the younger generation.

“It’s part of my effort to build strong character in the next generation,” Aboitiz said.

Luz Jandayan, DepEd-7 curriculum and learning management division chief, on the other hand, said they chose coastal schools as pilot schools because the students could readily relate to the book.

“They live near the sea, have seen a bugsay (paddle) and a baroto (boat), and could easily relate to Andoy,” she said.

Heading out to sea with his father, Andoy learns the valuable lessons of setting a goal, making all the preparations needed to achieve it, and working hard to realize the goal.

Under the agreement, RAFI would provide an Akong Bugsay Workbook for each Grade 3 student in the 20 schools identified by DepEd for the piloting of the learning materials; provide an Akong Bugsay Workbook Teacher’s Guide; and supply teaching aids for each of the 20 schools.

DepEd-7, on the other hand, must “ensure that the learning materials are integrated into the Grade 3 curriculum of the 20 schools.”

DepEd is also expected to come up with evaluation and assessment tools that would “measure the efficacy and impact of the integration of the learning materials into the Grade 3 curriculum.”

The learning materials would be piloted in the cities of Bogo, Carcar, Cebu, Danao, Lapu-Lapu, Naga, Mandaue, Talisay, Toledo; and in Cordova town.

After collating the result of the assessment process, DepEd is also expected to “come up with a comprehensive report in October 2014 on the efficacy and impact of the integration of the learning materials into the Grade 3 curriculum.”

The launching and MOA signing was followed by an orientation to teachers and school heads, and storytelling and teaching demonstration.

Image Credit: www.rafi.org.ph