MANILA -- The House Committee on Basic Education and Culture has adopted House Resolution No. 1805, urging DepEd "to suspend the regular academic program for 8 to 12 weeks to implement an effective learning recovery program that ensures learners attain functional literacy and numeracy".

Pasig City Lone District Rep. Roman Romulo, chairperson of the committee, said he wants the measure to be implemented on all students - from Grades 1 to 12 - but leaves it to the DepEd to decide on the specific policies of the program.

"Dapat may freedom pa rin ang DepEd, may flexibility para ma-implement nila iyong mga programa. Dapat sila talaga ang gumagawa ng programa. Ang sinasabi lang ng House resolution, inu-urge namin ang DepEd - based on all assessment tests that we have seen, and all studies and surveys - na kailangan talaga natin maggawa ng intervention programs during the regular academic calendar. Hindi na pwede iyong after school, hindi na pwede iyong summer lang," he told reporters at the sidelines of the House hearing.

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Romulo, who is also a commissioner of the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2), explained that the program will only focus on teaching math and reading subjects to students from Mondays to Fridays.

"Ang sinabi sa atin ng DepEd, hindi kaya sabay-sabay lahat. So gusto nilang unahin, Grades 7 to 10 at meron silang target na 1.6 million students or learners. Pero sabi namin, since 8 million naman ang Grades 7 to 10, dapat lahat magkaroon ng assessment test para alam natin kung ano iyong katayuan ng competencies ng bawat estudyante. And from there, makagawa tayo ng adjustments and interventions," he said. 

"Ang gusto natin, huminto muna tayo [for] eight to 12 weeks, iyong pinaka-basic competencies - iyong reading comprehension, grade-level appropriate, at math, grade-level appropriate - doon tayo para makita natin talaga kung nasaan nakatayo iyong bawat estudyante," he added. 

Based on the DepEd's explanation, this will be a graded assessment so that teachers will know where their students stand when it comes to literacy and numeracy. 

Romulo said the agency wants to start implementing the program this year.

"Ibig sabihin ba after the eight weeks, lahat sila back to regular programming?... Hindi po. Ang mangyayari, after the eight weeks, may assessment test ulit. Iyong kinakailangan na tuloy-tuloy, sabi ng DepEd, payag silang itutuloy-tuloy nila iyong intervention programs, meaning sa reading comprehension at sa mathematics," Romulo shared.

"Ang sabi ng DepEd, next year for Grades 1 to 3, and the rest ng [Grades] 7 to 10. Pero itong 3rd quarter, itong last quarter of the year, gusto na nilang ma-implement for the 1.6 million students sa Grades 7 to 10. So itong year plano na nila," he added. 

For DepEd Usec. Gina Gonong, their proposed timeline will give them enough time to prepare, including for the training of teachers, orientations for principals, and availability of teaching and learning resources.

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Gonong said this will also help them prepare for the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA).

"Ihiwalay po namin iyong mga bata na hindi makabasa sa Grades 7 to 10 - hindi makabasa, hindi maka-add - para sila iyong papasok sa ating literacy and numeracy component of the PISA program," she shared during the hearing.

"For the eight week literacy and numeracy program from Grades 1 to 3, our target is for our students to achieve improved proficiency, but by attaining at least one proficiency level higher than their current level in literacy and numeracy," she added.