ChildFund Philippines and SEAMEO INNOTECH launch the country's first localized social and emotional learning framework

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ChildFund Philippines, in collaboration with the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization Regional Center for Educational Innovation and Technology (SEAMEO INNOTECH), recently introduced the country’s first localized social and emotional learning (SEL) framework.

ChildFund Philippines, in collaboration with SEAMEO INNOTECH, recently introduced the country’s first localized
SEL framework at SEAMEO INNOTECH’s office in Quezon City. (L-R: Kochakorn Khattapan Acidre, Deputy Center
Director of SEAMEO INNOTECH; Marlene Floresca, Education Specialist of ChildFund Philippines; Dr. Dexter
Galban, Assistant Secretary for Operations of the Department of Education; Dr. Leonor Magtolis Briones, Center Director of SEAMEO INNOTECH; Anand Vishwakarma, Country Director of ChildFund Philippines; and, Dr. Grace

Aguiling-Dalisay, President and CEO of Center for Educational Measurement)

The 2024-2027 SEL program is designed to resonate with the unique cultural nuances of Filipino students in public schools. It aims to:

● Develop adaptable SEL curriculum models that can be tailored to different cultural contexts,

● Foster a sense of ownership and sustainability within communities by involving them in the adaptation and implementation processes,

● Provide evidence-based recommendations for integrating localized SEL into educational
policies at local, regional, and national levels, and;

● Share findings through academic publications, conferences, and workshops to contribute
to the global discourse on effective SEL localization.

“When we started building the SEL framework, we envisioned a localized approach engaging all stakeholders in the country – teachers, parents, and students. This collaborative effort ensures the framework addresses the holistic development of both learners and educators, making it culturally relevant and impactful,” said Anand Vishwakarma, Country Director of ChildFund Philippines.

Marlene Floresca, Education Specialist of ChildFund Philippines, emphasized that the SEL framework helps students develop "pagpapakatao" (being humane) and "pakikipagkapwa-tao"
(fellowship), to become capable and self-trusting individuals.

The social and emotional learning competency framework showcases that Filipino students and learners must
develop "pagpapakatao" (being humane) and "pakikipagkapwa"; (fellowship) to become capable and self-trusting individuals.

The competency framework also equips teachers with tools to better support students, contributing to a more inclusive and supportive educational environment. “The success of the SEL framework depends on the active involvement of teachers, along with parents and communities. Their participation ensures that the framework addresses the specific social and emotional needs of both learners and educators,” said Dr. Leonor Magtolis Briones, Center Director of SEAMEO INNOTECH.

Developing SEL skills early, starting in kindergarten and potentially even earlier, supports long-term success. According to Dr. Grace Aguiling-Dalisay, President and CEO of Center for Educational Measurement, assessing SEL skills alongside cognitive skills is imperative. “We are working with the education department to integrate these assessments into the SEL framework, ensuring evidence-based progress.”

Implementing the Framework



Implementation will begin this year with a pilot in select public schools to test the framework's effectiveness. Following this, it will be integrated into school-wide practices and policies for students, educators, and non-teaching staff.

The technical working group, who has been involved in the development of the framework including the Department of Education (DepEd), will endorse SEL modules accessible via an e-learning platform. Teachers and school heads will complete these courses and earn
professional development points through the National Educators Academy of the Philippines and the Professional Regulation Commission.

The framework supports the DepEd’s MATATAG Agenda: Bansang Makabata, Batang Makabansa, which aims to take care of learners by promoting their well-being and give support to teachers to perform better. It shall be implemented across the K-12 curriculum and expanded to mental health programs in schools nationwide.

“This SEL framework responds to the call for an education system that imparts knowledge and cultivates the social and emotional foundation children need to build their dreams, equipping
them beyond what books can teach,” said Dr. Dexter Galban, Assistant Secretary for Operations of the DepEd.

The organization and its partners interviewed K-12 and Alternative Learning System students across Metro Manila, Apayao, Negros Occidental, North Cotabato, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi to develop the framework.

For more information about the SEL competency framework, visit https://childfund.org.ph/.

SSS warns members, the public on fake text alerts

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The Social Security System (SSS) today warned its members and the public to be wary of text messages sent by unscrupulous individuals pretending to be SSS, promising its recipients an incentive by accessing a link.

SSS Senior Vice President for Member Services and Support Group Normita M. Doctor said that SSS has been receiving reports from members that they have received text alerts about benefit claims, expiring contribution payments, or My.SSS registration urging them to click a link.

“Do not click the link in the message of these fake text alerts. It will lead to a phishing site that will steal personal information such as SS numbers and login credentials from My.SSS account,” Doctor said.

Doctor explained that its members and the public can easily identify if they have received a scam text alert by checking its sender. “The SMS sender should be "SSS" and the official SSS website is www.sss.gov.ph. If it is an unidentified mobile number, it is a text message from scammers purposely sent to deceive its receiver,” she said.

“Our SSS Special Investigation Department (SID) has already probed the incidents. We also submitted a Text Scam Complaint containing these fake text alerts to the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) to help the government fight scam text messages,” she said.

She discouraged them from sharing their SS number, usernames, passwords, and other login details of their My.SSS account with these scammers so their My.SSS accounts will not be compromised and be used for fraudulent transactions.

Doctor advised those who have become victims of these text scammers to directly report it to law enforcement authorities such as the Philippine National Police’s Anti-Cybercrime Group and the National Bureau of Investigation’s Cybercrime Division.

“With the assistance of our SSS SID, victims can help law enforcement agencies in filing a case against text scammers. They can report text scammers to SID via email at fid@sss.gov.ph or through telephone at (02) 89247370,” she concluded.

FDCP to hold the first-ever Film Education Convention in September

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In its continuous efforts to enrich and champion film education in the country, the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) will hold the first-ever Film Education Convention (FilmEC) on September 17-18 at De La Salle - College of Saint Benilde in Manila.

FilmEC is a two-day convention, bringing together film creatives from the academe and in the industry. This activity-filled event features screenings of exemplary student short films, panel discussions, plenary talks, film book sales, and networking opportunities for film students and educators.

“The FDCP has put together the Film Education Convention, to gather both teachers and students of film to converge, get to know one another and engage in conversations that will break barriers of language or institutional representation,” FDCP Chairman and CEO Jose Javier Reyes said in a statement.

To further support the event, the Academic Film Society (AFS) created a committee comprising nine (9) members from various AFS-registered schools, universities, and colleges that will assist in the ideation and promotion of the convention.

Meeting of the committee members of FilmEC, consisting of Patrick Campos, Alec Berame, Stanley Rovira, Christina Stella Ustaris, Catherine Cequeña, Kareen Gancio, David Corpuz, Hector Calma, and Maricon Montajes.

The FDCP will also host a series of pocket events leading up to the convention. It includes student film screenings, talkback sessions, and film workshops in universities and in Cinematheque Centres nationwide.

Student film screenings & talkback sessions

AFS presents a curated selection of student short films followed by talkback sessions with the filmmakers at Cinematheque Centre Manila on July 19 and University of Makati on August 27, with more locations to be announced.

FDCP-FSG Regional Screenwriting Workshop

FDCP and the Filipino Screenwriters Guild (FSG) continue their regional screenwriting workshop for beginners. Five slots per region are open to AFS members in Iloilo, Negros, and Davao, aged 18+ with no professional screenwriting experience.

“We're here to learn, immerse, and understand film education in the Philippines, exposing newcomers to real-world filmmaking,” says Chairman Reyes.

Follow FilmEC and FDCP on social media for updates.