The Department of Education (DepEd) shall activate the Oplan Balik Eskwela (OBE) and the Public Assistance Station (PAS) for School Year (SY) 2015-2016 from May 25 to June 6, 2015 to ensure the smooth opening of classes this school year.
The OBE and PAS primarily aim to address the problems commonly encountered at the start of the SY to ensure that pupils/students are already properly enrolled and able to attend school by the first day of classes.
The annual OBE and PAS shall include the following components:
a. Convergence. This Department shall coordinate with other government agencies involved in school opening matters to assemble every year’s OBE Inter-Agency Task Force (OBE-IATF), which includes the following:
- Department of Energy (DOE);
- Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG);
- Department of Health (DOH);
- Department of National Defense (DND);
- Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH);
- Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD);
- Department of Trade and Industry (DTI);
- Manila Electric Company (MERALCO);
- Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS);
- Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA);
- Office of the Civil Defense (OCD);
- Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA); and
- Philippine National Police (PNP).
Schedules for the OBE-IATF meetings shall be announced on a separate advisory. Private corporations and other stakeholders involved in the delivery of services shall also be invited.
b. Information Dissemination. DepEd shall provide the public with important information through press releases, media interviews, and social media.
c. Information and Action Center. The DepEd Central office OBE Information and Action Center (OBEIAC) shall be set up on May 25, 2015 at the Bulwagan ng Karunungan to serve as the information and complaints processing and routing the mechanism for the duration of the project. To ensure the success of this project, the following offices/units are directed to actively participate and assign representative(s) to the OBEIAC:
Office of the Secretary
- Communications Unit (Comm Unit)
- DETxt Action Center
- Educational Audio-Visual Division (EAVD)
- Educational Information Division (EID)
- Materials Production and Publication Division (MPPD)
- Information and Communication Technology Unit (ICTU)
- Instructional Materials Council Secretariat (IMCS)
Office of the Undersecretary for Programs and Projects
- Bureau of Alternative Learning System (BALS)
- Bureau of Elementary Education (BEE)
- Bureau of Secondary Education (BSE)
- National Education Testing and Research Center (NETRC)
Office of the Undersecretary for Finance and Administration
- Accounting/Budget Division
- General Services Division (GSD) – Administrative Services
- Employees Welfare and Benefits Division (EWBD)
- Personnel Division
- Property Division
Office of the Undersecretary for Regional Operations
- School Health and Nutrition Center (HNC)
- Regional and Division Offices
Office of the Undersecretary for Legal and Legislative Affairs
- Legal Division
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Legal and Legislative Affairs
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Development
- Educational Development Projects Implementing Task Force (EDPITAF)
- Physical Facilities and School Engineering Division (PFSED) – Office of the Planning Service (OPS)
- Planning and Programming Division (PPD) – OPS
- Research and Statistics Division (RSD) – OPS
All regional directors (RRDs) and schools division superintendents (SDSs) are hereby directed to set up their local OBIACs. They shall:
a. designate from among their respective senior staff at least two Senior Action Officers who shall oversee regional/division and local concerns and at least four support personnel from their respective offices. Their names and their contact details shall be submitted to the DETxt Action Center on or before May 12, 2015;
b. set-up hotlines to receive calls, text messages, fax messages, and emails on complaints, request and suggestions from parents, students and other concerned citizens;
c. set-up help desk to accommodate walk-in concerns; and
d. update/submit daily reports to the Central Office (CO) on the concerns mentioned in Items b and c every 11:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.
The project shall be under the general supervision and control of the Office of Secretary, with Assistant Secretary Jesus L. R. Mateo serving as the Oplan Balik Eskwela (OBE) Chairman.
All expenses be incurred during this activity, including payment for the services by the concerned personnel during the OBE, in addition to, or over and above their regular workload, shall be charged to OSEC Funds for CO personnel, and to local funds for regional and division personnel, subject to t usual accounting and auditing rules and regulations.
For more information, all concerned officials and individuals may contact:
DepEd Central Office – Information and Action Center (DepEd CO-IAC)
DepEd Central Office, DepEd Complex
Meralco Avenue, Pasig City
Telephone No.: (02) 636-1663
Fax No.: (02) 638-8641
Mobile Phone No.: 0919-456-0027
Email Address: action@deped.gov.ph
All field and school officials are enjoined to support this Campaign to ensure a smooth school opening.
