KCFI salutes CDW/Ts as supporters of early childhood development

Lopez Link Newsletter - October 2024 Issue

By Jal Castino

More than 5,000 teachers attended the National Teachers’ Month kickoff at Candon City Arena, Ilocos Sur last September 5. (Photo on right courtesy of DepEd Philippines). 

The Knowledge Channel Foundation, Inc. (KCFI), spotlighted its celebration of the National Teacher’s Month (NTM) on child development workers and teachers (CDW/Ts) who teach the youngest Filipino learners in barangay child development centers (CDC) in the country.  

Because NTM observed from Sept. 5 to Oct. 5 is usually focused on teachers in basic and tertiary education, KCFI has taken steps to ensure that CDW/Ts are also recognized.    

Rina Lopez, KCFI’s President and Executive Director presented the foundation’s initiatives for CDW/Ts at the NTM kickoff at Candon City Arena on Sept. 5. She emphasized the importance of supporting CDW/Ts, who are the first educators of the youngest learners and play crucial roles in their development. 

“They (CDW/Ts) lay the foundation for critical and creative thinking, social skills, and emotional resilience. However, they frequently operate with limited resources and support. Investing in early childhood development, particularly in videos, training and mentoring, and supporting CDW/Ts, is not just an educational imperative; it is a socio-economic necessity,” Lopez stated. 

KCFI mounted a free online conference on Sept. 27 and Oct. 4 which engaged more than 3000 CDW/Ts. The conference called “Early Care Matters” provided knowledge on World Health Organization’s Nurturing Care Framework for children which covers Safety and Security, Good Health, Adequate Nutrition, Responsive Caregiving Opportunities for Early Learning. It also talked about the Knowledge Channel’s resource packages for early childhood development which boasts of music and animated stories for young children and learning series for teachers, parents and other childcare providers.  

KCFI Vice President Edric Calma (bottom left) served as a special guest on Radyo CSR for National Teachers’ Month last September 21. 

In his NTM-related guesting on DZXL’s top-rated program Radyo CSR, KCFI Vice President Edric Calma discussed KCFI’s "Gurong May K: Best Teachers of Knowledge" awards which is meant to recognize not only basic education teachers, but also CDW/Ts.  

“While we provide resource materials that CDW/Ts may use in their centers and training programs to help them skill-up, we at KCFI want to recognize their dedication and best practices and those who do them lovingly to really support the children’s holistic early childhood development,” Calma pointed. 

KCFI officially turns over KCMPL packages to 20 beneficiary schools in Palompon, Leyte; one of the five areas that KCFI reached throughout National Teachers’ Month. 

Throughout NTM, KCFI also gifted either Knowledge Channel TV (KCTV) and/or Knowledge Channel Portable Media Library (KCPML) and corresponding technical training for teachers on maximizing Knowledge Channel video lessons in instruction. Among those provided with KCTV and/or KCPML and trained were teachers in 20 schools in Leyte, 10 schools in Bukidnon, 7 in Bataan, 5 in Ifugao, and the teachers in Philippine School for the Deaf in Pasay.  

KCFI President and Executive Director Rina Lopez (right) with Manila Schools Division Superintendent Rita Riddle (middle) and Makati Mayor Abigail Binay (left) during the National Teachers’ Day celebration.

Lopez and Calma were with 15,000 teachers, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Education Secretary Juan Edgardo Angara and other education officials, and private sector stakeholders at the grand National Teacher’s Day celebration on October 3 at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum.     

Let us support our Child Development Workers and Teachers and the young Filipino learners by providing them with a KCTV or KCPML package for early childhood development of more than 300 video resources. Donate to Knowledge Channel Foundation Inc. today through BPI Acct. No. 0201-0409-14 or GCash via QR and kindly email a copy of your deposit slip to info@knowledgechannel.org for recording purposes, or contact Ms. Liberty Reyes, Resource Mobilization Manager, for more details at liberty.reyes@knowledgechannel.org.  

For Knowledge Channel on Lopez Link - October 2024.