A look into education’s new normal : DepEd shares insights on the first weeks of classes

Tweet

Various industries in the Philippines are already on their slow but steady path to recovery and that includes the education sector. Despite the compromises and major changes made in the educational system to navigate through the now normal, the Department of Education (DepEd) has successfully opened classes for SY 2020-2021. 

“DepEd recognizes the challenges of the school year ahead, but if we opted for an academic freeze, we would have lost many months of the childrens’ learning,” said DepEd Secretary Leonor Magtolis Briones. “The opening of the school year has generally been very successful, and we will continue to face any challenge that lies ahead with great resolve to continue education in the country.” 

For the first few weeks of classes, the Department has been focusing on the proper implementation of the alternative learning delivery modalities and providing the necessary psychosocial support for the academic community. 

Learning in the new normal 

Following the DepEd’s successful implementation of the different learning modalities across the country, Regional Offices (ROs) are working hard to continuously provide students with learning materials. 

With the vision of making education accessible to every student in the country, DepEd reports that 690,578,576 Self Learning Modules (SLM) have already been printed. Distribution of the said learning materials has also been successful, with 465,225,636 SLMs being distributed to students nationwide for the first quarter of the school year. 

Learning materials for Online Distance Learning students have already been prepared in time for the first quarter of the academic year, with 3,841,474 digitized SLMs, e-books, online video lessons, and the like ready for rollout. 

The DepEd also shared that 7,740 Radio-based instruction (RBI) learning materials are ready for roll out across all regions in the country. These materials include teaching scripts and learning episodes, which will help educate and engage with students in far-flung areas. Currently, DepEd has partnerships with 309 radio stations all over the Philippines. 

Meantime, preparations for Television-based learning have also been successful. The Department reports that 9,207 Television-based instruction (TBI) learning materials like video lessons and learning episodes have been prepared for students in all 17 regions in the country. A total of 259 television channels are partaking in TBI, making education more accessible and easier to consume this school year. 

Recently, DepEd also announced the DepEd Error Watch initiative. The goal of this initiative is to receive and collate reports of errors found in different learning materials so that the DepEd can forward these to the appropriate offices for validation and correction. The initiative allows the Department to be more open to public feedback in order to further improve the learning experience of every student in the country. 

Parents and students can use various platforms such as email (errorwatch@deped.gov.ph), Facebook messenger (@depederrorwatch), and text message (0961-680-5334) to report any discrepancies, and are also encouraged to use the hashtag #depederrorwatch when submitting reports. 

Training has also been conducted nationwide to help equip teachers and parents for the changes that are bound to happen this school year. The Department has trained 804,272 teachers, and they have also reached out to 14,944,593 parents in all 13 regions. In total, 45,321 schools have helped the Department in conducting seminars to educate both teachers and parents. 

Putting emphasis on mental health 

The mental health of the academic community also continues to be one of DepEd’s top priorities for this school year. Prior to the opening of classes, DepEd trained teachers to provide support to students who may be struggling to cope with education’ new normal. 

The Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Services (MHPSS) program gives learners the necessary support they needed during the first week of remote learning. Likewise, DepEd’s stakeholders also enjoy wellness checks to also help them cope with working at such a peculiar time. 

DepEd also issued the Parents’ Handbook for the New Normal in Basic Education to serve as a guide for SY 2020-2021. The handbook helps parents further understand the alternative learning modalities and provides information on where parents can seek help should they encounter difficulties in understanding the learning modules. Practical tips for parents of learners with disabilities and positive parenting and discipline tips when facilitating home learning are also included in the handbook. Parents can secure a copy of the handbook by downloading it online. 

“The millions of learners who are doing their best to learn despite the pandemic are truly inspiring and encouraging,” said Secretary Briones. “The Department remains steadfast in its commitment to provide all learners with the quality education they deserve, and we will continue to work hand in hand with our stakeholders to continue education for Filipinos across the country amid these trying times.” 

About the Department of Education 

The Department of Education (DepEd) formulates, implements, and coordinates policies, plans, programs and projects in the areas of formal and non-formal basic education. It supervises all elementary and secondary education institutions, including alternative learning systems, both public and private; and provides for the establishment and maintenance of a complete, adequate, and integrated system of basic education relevant to the goals of national development. 

ASUS Philippines Announces Official Extension of “Gear Up for the New Normal” Back to School Promotions

Tweet

All roads will definitely lead to the ASUS Concept Store nearest you as ASUS Philippines has officially announced the extension of the brand’s seasonal back-to-school campaign up to September 15, 2020.

This gives those who are still on the lookout for the #BestLaptopDeals in the market today more chances to not only get the ASUS laptop they’ve always wanted, but to also have a complete and more productive experience for online learning that is needed during these times.

True to its name, the “Gear Up For the New Normal” promotion equips instructors, teachers and students alike with the best solution to this shift to virtual learning and teaching. 

The “Gear Up For The New Normal” campaign gives buyers of select ASUS laptops a free and exclusive bundle of a Globe at Home Prepaid WiFi router, which features 2x faster speeds than regular pocket WiFi, and comes with free 10GB of Data. On top of this, ASUS Philippines is also giving away a Lazada e-voucher of up to Php 5,000 that can be used to purchase ASUS products in select official stores in Lazada.

Participating ASUS laptops for this promotion include the current and upcoming Intel Core i5, i7 and i9-powered ASUS ZenBooks and ASUS VivoBooks purchased in ASUS Concept Stores and accredited resellers nationwide.

To register for the promotion, and to get more details on the campaign, please visit the official microsite at https://bit.ly/ASUSGearUpMechanics.

LANY, vivo encourages millennials to ignite the night in the “new normal”

Tweet

For globally-successful pop band, LANY, the Philippines will forever remain memorable because it is where they staged their first-ever arena concert, at no less than the Smart Araneta Coliseum in 2018. 

LANY frontman Paul Klein even tweeted “Best night of my life without a doubt. Thank you, Manila” after the sold-out event.

Today, after dozens of crowd-drawing concerts worldwide, LANY—composed of Paul, drummer Jake Gross and keyboardist Les Priest—is about to sing their way back to the hearts of Filipino fans, via an upcoming album, “Mama’s Boy”. 

Recently, the band has also been introduced as the latest brand ambassadors of leading technology company, vivo.

With “Mama’s Boy”, the trio has found inspiration in looking back at their own journey as a band, from finding their unique sound, to finding global success in the music industry that perhaps started with their Manila concert.

Paul, Jake, and Les formed LANY, an acronym for “Los Angeles New York”, in Los Angeles in 2015. With poetic lyrics on love and heartbreak, a dream-like soundscape, and modern aesthetic, the group easily captured millennials’ attention after releasing their self-titled debut album.

With hits such as “ILYSB”, “Thru These Tears”, and “I Don’t Wanna Love You Anymore”, LANY has since been selling out multiple nights across the Philippines. Their music, best enjoyed at night, has become an inspiration for millennials to make the most out of evenings, preventing them from simply slipping away.

And as the latest brand ambassadors of vivo in the Philippines, LANY calls on their Filipino fans to continue to do the same. 

“Mabuhay Philippines, we are LANY and we are so excited to be the new members of the vivo family. We’re having so much fun with the all-new vivo V19. Go and check it out, it will definitely ignite your night,” said the band in a video posted on vivo Philippine’s Facebook page.

With this partnership, vivo and LANY invite millennials to ignite their night with the vivo V19 Neo, a phone that boasts of a super night mode camera feature and enhanced gaming capabilities–-perfect for work-from-home millennials who pursue their passions at night.

Heed LANY and vivo’s call to “ignite your night” and get your hands on the brand-new vivo V19 Neo today through Vivo's official website, Shopee, and Lazada.

Shopee Sees Growth In Digital Payments as Filipinos Adjust to the New Normal

Tweet

While 70% of purchases made through digital payments were by younger users, Shopee also saw an increased adoption among users aged over 50

MANILA - Shopee, the leading e-commerce platform in Southeast Asia and Taiwan, saw an acceleration in digital payments as Filipinos fulfill more daily needs online amidst the ongoing pandemic. Shopee saw an increase in the number of digital payments made on the platform since the beginning of the pandemic. More people paid for their purchases via credit cards, bank transfers, and ShopeePay. According to a Boston Consulting Group report, this trend will continue as more Southeast Asian households embrace digital payments during and after Covid-19.

Martin Yu, Associate Director at Shopee Philippines, said, “2020 has brought about significant shifts in the way we live, work and shop online. Among these shifts is the accelerated move towards a cashless society across the region. In line with social distancing efforts, we see consumers embracing digital payments for greater convenience and security. Local governments are also stepping up their efforts to encourage this move. Similarly, Shopee continues to offer a wide range of digital payment options to cater to evolving needs, including ShopeePay, our mobile wallet.”

Shopee outlines three observations on digital payments in the Philippines: 

1. Increased adoption of digital payments among older users: 70% of the total number of purchases made using digital payments were by users between the ages of 18 to 34. However, older users are also starting to adopt digital payments when shopping online. Shopee observed a 100% increase in the number of ShopeePay transactions among users over the age of 50. Given that older users typically find it harder to adapt to digital payments, this heartening trend illustrates the ease of use of ShopeePay and the trust it has built among users.

2. Men’s adoption of digital payments is higher than women: Men increasingly value the convenience and security of digital payments. Over the past year, the rate of growth in the adoption of digital payments is 80% higher for men than for women. 

3. Digital payments are more prevalent in urban cities: The National Capital Region (NCR) has the highest digital payment adoption. Larger cities, which are critical drivers of the Philippines’ economic growth, have better connectivity and a more developed IT infrastructure. Individuals in these cities also have better accessibility to smartphones, contributing to the adoption of digital payments.

Shopee is committed to meeting the needs of its users. Through its integrated mobile wallet, ShopeePay, Shopee strives to ensure that users can shop and pay with ease. In addition to the ease of use, ShopeePay offers several benefits to users, including convenience, a seamless user experience, security, and more significant cost savings.

Convenient and easy to top-up: ShopeePay is easy to top-up through a variety of methods. These include online banking, payment centers, and over-the-counter bank transactions. Through ShopeePay, users can make online payments, top-up their wallets, transfer, and withdraw funds.

Safe and secure payment method: ShopeePay follows the highest security standards. An automated registration process protects the user, and there is also a dedicated 24h Customer Service team.

Greater cost savings with ShopeePay promotions: ShopeePay users can enjoy the following regular promotions:

● Mobile Load: New users can earn 30 coins when they buy ₱100 worth of load, while regular users get big discounts when they buy load via ShopeePay.

● Bills Payment: Users can claim 150 to 350 coins (with ₱800 minimum spend) when they pay their utility bills via ShopeePay.

● ShopeePay Day: Users can enjoy free shipping with ₱0 minimum spend on ShopeePay Thursdays. They can also enjoy up to 20% off discount with minimum spending of ₱200.

Yu closed, “As more consumers turn to our platform to stay connected and fulfill their daily needs, we are committed to leveraging our key strengths to help consumers adapt to the new normal. We want to provide our users with easy access to digital payment services such as ShopeePay, through an integrated and secure ecosystem.”

Download Shopee for free through the App Store or Google Play.

About Shopee

Shopee is the leading e-commerce platform in Southeast Asia and Taiwan. It was launched in 7 markets in 2015 to connect consumers, sellers, and businesses in the region.

Shopee offers an easy, secure, and engaging experience that is enjoyed by millions of people daily. It offers a wide product assortment, supported by integrated payments and logistics, as well as popular entertainment features tailored for each market. Shopee is also a key contributor to the region’s digital economy, with a firm commitment to helping brands and entrepreneurs succeed in e-commerce.

Shopee is a part of Sea Limited (NYSE:SE), a leading global consumer internet company. In addition to Shopee, Sea’s other core businesses include its digital entertainment arm, Garena, and digital financial services arm, SeaMoney. Sea’s mission is to better the lives of consumers and small businesses with technology.

About SeaMoney

SeaMoney is a leading digital payments and financial services provider in Southeast Asia. Its mission is to better the lives of individuals and businesses in the region with financial services through technology. 

SeaMoney’s offerings include mobile wallet services, under the AirPay and ShopeePay brands, which provide users with easy access to digital payment services. These mobile wallets allow users to make online payments, top up their wallet, transfer and withdraw funds, and make payments offline at thousands of partner merchant locations, offering users a seamless shopping experience. SeaMoney also offers payment processing, micro-lending, and related digital financial services and products.

How TikTok is inspiring creativity in the new normal

Tweet

Filipinos dance to a new beat during Metro Manila Quarantine

With COVID-19 forcing everyone to stay home, more and more people are turning to online platforms for information, connection, and entertainment. And no platform has managed to entertain quite like TikTok.

TikTok has been taking 2020 by storm, with 315 million installs across iOS and Android in Q1. To date, the video-sharing app has been installed in devices 800 million times and was touted as the most downloaded app earlier this year. It now has 2 billion downloads overall, doubling its total from 15 months ago.

While this growth can be partly attributed to the current situation, it can also be attributed to TikTok’s inherent playful personality and how that fits into this digital era. “Our mission has always been to inspire creativity and bring joy. We want to help people stay connected, stay informed, stay entertained,” said John Castro, Community Operations Manager of TikTok Philippines, in a recent webinar organized by M2.0 Communications. “It’s also about inspiring each other.”

Another reason for TikTok’s mass appeal is it is designed for the local user. The app is available in over 150 markets and supports 75 languages, including Cebuano and Tagalog.

What makes TikTok tick?

According to Castro, TikTok’s lifeline is its users, who are mostly Gen Z. This generation is a digital-first generation, with 98 percent owning smartphones. They also spend a lot of time on the internet: averaging 10 hours a day online, streaming at least one hour of video per day, and consuming an average of 68 contents per day.

While Gen Z is certainly a big driver of the app’s popularity, other generations are joining in on the fun as well, resulting in a vibrant and engaged community. And it is that community that sets TikTok apart according to Castro.

“We have dancers, chefs, cooks,” said Castro on the variety of users on the platform all expressing their individual truths. “It's not just about the dance trends, it’s more about the creators, the users, and the community,” he said.

New content for the new normal

A big trend in content creation brought on by COVID-19 is the shift towards authentic content. And this is where TikTok shines, because it is about users expressing their individual truths, in whatever way they choose.

Before the pandemic, lifestyle influencer Laureen Uy posted a lot of travel content. Now, her content has been restricted to things she can do in her own home, forcing her to think of new ways to present her content. “As a content creator, I still want to keep my creativity going even at home,” she said.

As someone new to the platform, she was surprised by the amount of learning on TikTok, inspiring her to also produce informational content. That educational aspect of the short-form video platform is something that TikTok has actively pursued, adding the option for longer-form content so its creators can better inform their audiences.

Ultimately, TikTok’s success will depend on its users. And while the growing user base of the platform will undoubtedly attract marketers, Castro emphasizes the importance of understanding what works on TikTok. “If you’re coming into TikTok thinking you can do the same thing you can do on other platforms, you’re probably going to be mediocre,” he said.

For Uy, it’s about diversifying content for different social media channels. “If my content on Instagram is more fashion and lifestyle focused, my content on TikTok would be focused on fun and infotainment,” she said.

Perhaps the best way for brands to run campaigns on TikTok is through the creators. After all, it is a community-driven platform. It will be an exercise of experimentation and creativity, much like the environment of the TikTok community itself.

“On TikTok, you’ll see different types of challenges and videos you might not see on other platforms,” said Castro. “We want you guys to express your creativity. It can be in the weirdest way possible. We embrace weird, and we want you guys to do that on TikTok.”