By: Miss Angelica Grey Flores
School Promotions Officer
March 15, 2020, exactly a year ago when Metro Manila was placed under partial lockdown or community quarantine as the first few COVID-19 cases were discovered in our country. This was quickly followed by the imposition of the Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) on March 17, when news of increasing number of COVID-19 cases littered our TV screens, radios, social media, etc. Majority of academic institutions in the Philippines were already on the last couple of weeks of classes for the school year, which was unfortunately cut short because of these new developments.
With all the uncertainty that laid ahead at that time and all the chatter about whether or not to have face-to-face classes, OLOPSC had to quickly assess the situation and come up with a new plan for the coming school year. Thus, the birth of OLOPSC HOme-Based School or HoBS, a new program that allows us to reach our students using a modified hybrid teaching and learning system.
Initially, HoBS was thought of simply as a solution to the “New Normal” in order to continue providing service to our students and their parents, assuring them that we are ready for the change and whatever challenges we may face. But as months went by, the education scene in the Philippines remains unpredictable.
OLOPSC realized that HoBS is not just a solution but an essential part of the new normal, especially with the successful HoBS experiences of our students who are currently outside Marikina City, in different parts of the country and even abroad.
For SY 2020-2021, we have enrollees who are situated in Mandaluyong City, Eastern Samar, Albay, Catanduanes, Cagayan Valley, Middle East, and in the US. This shows that wherever you are in the world, OLOPSC education is within reach through the HoBS program. That’s why this coming school year 2021-2022, we are opening our doors to more students from different parts of the Philippines and the world.
We cannot predict how long this pandemic will last or when we will go back to having face-to-face classes on campus, but OLOPSC will certainly adapt to change, continually strive to provide excellent quality education, and remain committed to empowering learners.
