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Textbooks from five prominent publishing companies—ABIVA Publishing House Inc., C & E Bookshop, DIWA Learning Systems Inc., Phoenix Publishing House, and REX Book Store—have been chosen as the new educational materials for Adventist schools across the Southwestern Philippine region, spanning from nursery to senior high levels. The selection process took place on May 6-7, 2023, at the union headquarters, ensuring these materials will be utilized over the next three years.

ABIVA will supply textbooks for nursery and kindergarten, while REX will provide textbooks for elementary levels. Junior high and senior high levels will utilize a combination of textbooks from Phoenix, C & E, DIWA, ABIVA, and REX.

Using the Textbook Evaluation Rubric, a group of carefully chosen teachers, principals, and education directors from various Adventist organizations and schools in the Southwestern region assessed books from various publishing houses. They assessed the books based on four criteria: organization, content, inclusivity, and alignment with Adventist belief and the MATATAG curriculum.

The Philippines’ Department of Education's Matatag curriculum is a robust and well-structured educational framework aimed at enhancing the quality of teaching and learning nationwide. This curriculum places strong emphasis on teacher beliefs and their significant impact on student experiences.

Before the results were announced, Education Director of the Adventist Church in the Southwestern Philippines (SwPUC), Dr. Alevir Pido, had already assured that the chosen books would align with the highest standards of Adventist education and should provide quality educational materials for the students. 

Assistant Education Director of SwPUC, Romy Lamputi, who was in charge of the Book Review, reiterated that the content of the textbooks should be congruent with Adventist principles. 

“We are very happy to evaluate the textbooks objectively. We also decided to have different titles that will be used throughout SwPUC schools from all levels," Lamputi said. 

Education Director of the Adventist Church in Zamboanga Peninsula (ZPM) Victor Palin, assigned to review Mathematics books, shared his experience: "I want to make sure that this subject is more comprehensible to the students, and it must coincide with the MATATAG curriculum of DepEd."

Launched in 2023, the new MATATAG Curriculum by the Department of Education represents one of several proactive steps taken to address challenges in Filipino students' academic achievement. Despite recent evaluations, such as the Program for International Student Assessment in 2022, where the Philippines ranked 77th out of 81 countries in reading, Mathematics, and Science, initiatives like the MATATAG Curriculum aim to uplift educational outcomes across the nation.

Adventist schools within SwPUC will start using the new learning materials this upcoming school year (2024-2025).

By Quin Salarda, SWPUC Communication Department