By Dang Samson Garcia
QUEZON City 5th District Rep. PM Vargas is pushing for a measure digitizing all books necessary for primary and secondary public education.
Vargas’ House Bill 9001 also pushes for the establishment of Philippine Online Library.
The solon, in his explanatory note, said after the Covid19 pandemic, the landscape of education in the country has drastically changed, relying mostly on the ever-expanding influence of technology.
“For most schools with access to the internet, the primary option for learning mode was an online platform while those that did not have access to the internet resorted to modular learning,” Vargas said in his explanatory note.
The solon stressed among the lessons learned during the pandemic were that connectivity and digital information are crucial elements in ensuring that education is continuous, especially in remote areas.
The measure seeks the digitalization of textbooks and reference books in primary and secondary public schools to make them accessible to many more learners even in isolated villages and eventually break down the barriers to education and learning.
The proposed Philippine Online Library Act, the solon stressed, envisions an entire collection of essential reading materials in public schools as well as other literature materials that young learners can access online through computers, laptops, or other digital devices in all primary and secondary public schools nationwide.