The Commission on Human Rights lauds the city governments of Quezon City, Pasig, and Manila for providing additional allocation and gadgets to support students and teachers in their transition to blended learning.

Pasig City allocated PhP1.3 billion for laptops, tablets, printing of modules, and provision of internet service for teachers and students; Quezon City will provide tablets for 176,000 public school students covering grade 7-12; and, Manila appropriated PhP1 billion for laptops with pocket WiFi devices for teachers and 136,950 tablets for students.

These support are crucial in ensuring the right to education in this period of pandemic. It helps alleviate the compounding burden that beset students and teachers as they navigate their way to the new normal of education.

Many teachers go out of their way to ensure that students continue to learn. Students and their parents are also willing to make the necessary adjustments and sacrifices in order to afford the additional cost entailed in blended learning. But for many families, laptop, tablet, and internet provision are considered luxuries that do not fit within their household income.

The foresight of the aforementioned city governments to anticipate the needs of students and teachers help in ensuring that no one is left behind. The right to education is for all and must never be a luxury that only a few can afford. The Commission hopes that more local and city governments—with the aid of the Department of Education and the national government—will provide the needed support especially to the underprivileged ones to ensure equal access to education in these challenging times. ###