DepEd Set to Simplify Senior High School Curriculum

Wazzup Pilipinas!?



Education Secretary Sonny Angara emphasized that one of the Department of Education’s (DepEd) priorities is to fast-track the review of the Senior High School (SHS) Curriculum and reduce the subjects to let learners focus more on work immersion.

“So, we must have flexibility in our system. If we reduce the subjects of our SHS curriculum, the students will have more time for the on-the-job training or work immersion needed by the industry so that our senior high school graduates will become more employable even if they lack work experience,” Secretary Angara said during the 2024 Regional Conference on Educational Planning in Asia.

“So, we’re on the right direction to reduce the core subjects of our SHS curriculum to just five or six subjects,” he added.

On Monday, the Department met with academic experts to accelerate efforts in reviewing and streamlining the SHS program and subjects.

The meeting with consultants from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) sought to provide recommendations on the structure of the SHS curriculum and on the content of English, Science, and Math standards and curriculum guides.

Moreover, DepEd has collaborated with ADB to provide technical assistance and professional guidance to DepEd specialists in revising the SHS curriculum.

Education Secretary Angara previously emphasized that the country’s basic education curriculum was already crowded according to education experts from other countries.

DepEd Undersecretary for Curriculum and Instruction Gina Gonong, Assistant Secretary Joyce Dr Andaya, Teacher Education Council Executive Director Jennie Jocson, Office of the Secretary Director Maggie Del-Valle Ramoso attended the said consultation meeting. EDCOM Executive Director Karol Mark Yee was also in attendance.

ADB were represented by consultants Margaret Bigelow, Mary Coupland, Michael Murray, Mel Dixon, Gerard Edward McCloughan, and Dagmar Arthur to discuss their role, highlighting the provision of technical advice to the Department based on evidence-based approaches and strategies on the process of curriculum review and revision.

E911 National Office commends PLDT and Smart for direct routing of 911 calls to NGA911 activated call centers for free

Wazzup Pilipinas!?

The Emergency 911 (E911) National Office commended PLDT and Smart for already routing emergency 911 calls directly to the activated local 911 command centers of Morong, Alaminos City, Pangasinan, and Cagayan de Oro City -- for free! This will further speed up the emergency response time of the concerned LGUs and provide quality public safety services to their constituents.

E911 executive director Francis Fajardo hopes other telecommunications companies and service providers will follow suit to already put into effect a nationwide unified and integrated 911 emergency response system in accordance with Executive Order (EO) 56.


The vision of a unified and integrated 911 emergency response system across the country is swiftly moving towards realization.

Advanced technology from Smart Telecommunications and the Philippine Long-Distance Telephone (PLDT) Company began to enable the seamless routing of 911 calls to the activated Local Command Centers in Morong, Rizal; Alaminos City, Pangasinan; and Cagayan De Oro City in October.

For Smart and PLDT subscribers in these areas, emergency calls are now routed directly to the respective local government unit’s (LGU) Local Emergency Response Centers. The streamlined process eliminates the previous step of routing calls through the Emergency 911 (E911) National Office and results in faster, more direct responses to emergencies.

“The primary mandate of the E911 National Office under the 911 National Program is to provide and ensure improved public safety services to the general public by providing a clear command structure for responsibility and accessibility. We should also facilitate the prompt deployment of a seamless nationwide communication infrastructure for emergency services through the joint efforts of the government, the private sector, and civil society,” said Executive Director Fajardo.

The Executive Director thanked PLDT and Smart for their commitment to ensure that their subscribers have quick and direct access to emergency assistance. Fajardo urged other telecommunications providers to join this life-saving initiative for the greater public’s good, safety, and survival.

NGA 911 Philippines Country Head Rob Llaguno echoed these sentiments, commending PLDT and Smart for facilitating the early routing of their subscribers’ 911 calls to the LGU Command Centers. This significant advancement further speeds up emergency response, enhancing the LGUs' ability to protect lives and property, Llaguno said.

“We are integration-ready for any telco and eager to work with all concerned to equip our local government units with our NextGen emergency response system that is faster, more responsive, and resilient,” Llaguno added.

Llaguno emphasized the comprehensive support provided to the LGUs they serve, including the Philippine National Police Public Safety Command Center (PNP PCC). “Our services include fully recorded 911 environments, seamless conference and transfer facilities for responders, and advanced mapping and location detection capabilities. Recent statistics indicate that approximately 90% of 911 calls received by the PNP PCC in NCR are met with response times of five minutes or less as a result.”

Triumph in Canada! Undefeated Filipino Curling Team Wins Pan Continental Curling Championships

Wazzup Pilipinas!?

The Philippine Curling Team is a step closer to its Olympic dream after topping Division B of the Pan Continental Curling Championship in Lancombe, Canada. With the win, they have been moved up to Division A, which makes them eligible to compete in more competitions and qualifiers for the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics.

The exciting road that leads to the Milano Cortina begins with the Asian Winter Games in Harbin, China in February 2025.

The Philippine curling team made history at the Pan-Continental Curling Championships in Canada: in a thrilling tournament, the team was the only one to remain undefeated and secured first place in the B division by beating Kazakhstan in the final. This historic triumph paves the way for the team to move up to the A-Division and brings them a big step closer to realizing their dream of competing in the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina.

In the twelve intense games, the team, consisting of Christian Haller (vice), Enrico Pfister (second), Marc Pfister (skip) and Alan Frei (lead), showed their extraordinary strength and determination. The victories in the preliminary round against strong opponents such as Saudi Arabia, Nigeria and Puerto Rico already demonstrated the team's strong teamwork, but the road to the final was not without challenges: In the semi-final against Hong Kong, the team mastered a hard-fought victory, demonstrating its strong nerves and team harmony. In the final against Kazakhstan, an opponent they had already narrowly defeated, they triumphed with confidence on Saturday afternoon.

Team skip Marc Pfister emphasizes: “This promotion to the A Division is an incredible achievement and the result of tireless work. We have grown as a team and proven that we can deliver under pressure. Now we are looking forward to the next challenge, playing against the best teams in the world and tackling the qualification for the Olympics.”

“This is incredible, I'm overwhelmed by what we've achieved here!” says Alan Frei. “This last year has been an intense learning process for all of us – from the first time on the ice to this decisive moment here at the Pan Continentals. Today, all the training, passion and determination paid off. I'm really looking forward to the upcoming Olympic qualifiers!”

The next step: qualifying tournaments for Milano Cortina 2026

With their promotion to the A Division, Team Philippines will now face the best curling teams in the world. This new challenge opens up the possibility of qualifying for the 2025 Olympics in two (pre-)qualifying tournaments – a goal that is now within reach.

Team vice-captain Christian Haller said: “This success is proof of what can be achieved when you work as a team and aim for the impossible. The Philippines are united behind us – and we've also received an incredible amount of support from Switzerland – and that's a huge motivation for us as we face the next challenges!”

With their unique blend of Swiss precision and Filipino passion, the Philippines team has established itself as a true underdog in the curling scene, comparable to iconic sports stories such as the Jamaican bobsled team and 'Eddie the Eagle'.

About the team

Christian Haller (Vice): With 26 years of curling experience, Haller brings the technical know-how to the team.


Enrico Pfister (Second): Supports the team with his many years of experience at the international level.


Marc Pfister (Skip): The experienced curler and Enrico's brother leads the team with strategic skill.


Alan Frei (Lead): The entrepreneur, who underwent a complete transformation, is the heart of the team with his story “From obese to Olympics”.

Next tournaments:

February 7-14, 2025: Asian Winter Games, Harbin, China


October 17-24, 2025: Pre-Qualifier (location tba)


November 2-9, 2025: Pan Continental Curling Championship (World Cup qualifier)


December 6-20, 2025: Olympic Qualifier (location tba