CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga - The Department of Education-Schools Division Office (Deped-SDO) of Zambales and its partners have committed to promote and protect learners in the province from all forms of violence, abuse, neglect, and maltreatment, which also covers cyber safety and security. Through the signing of a memorandum of agreement (MOA), the SDO-Zambales together with the Save the Children Foundation, Stairway Foundation, Action Inc. and Preda Foundation, have vowed to strengthen efforts on the promotion of the students' physical, moral, spiritual, intellectual, and social well-being. Romeo Alip, schools division superintendent of Zambales, said on Tuesday the MOA aims to intensify the promotion of programs and projects on child protection policy and cybersafety. "We are thankful to our partners who took part in the expansion of the child protection program," Alip said in a DepEd-Zambales news report aired on its official social media page. Stairway Foundation child protection specialist Ysrael Diloy said "we are very happy with our partnership, specifically yung gusto naming dalhin (what we want to bring) is our years of experience working with the education sector in the areas of child protection." Preda Foundation president Francisco Bermido Jr., for his part, said they can offer SDO Zambales training for duty bearers, teachers, and guidance counselors on what they can do to help children who are victims of abuse. "We are always open to accepting children for residential care," Bermido added. Meanwhile, Action Inc. project coordinator Michelle Tayao said they are working with various institutions, individuals, and other stakeholders on creating a child-friendly society. Last April, the DepEd Regional Office (RO) III conducted its first Regional Hybrid Training on Cybersafety in Schools that gave emphasis on the need to understand the different child protection issues encountered by learners in the online world and to educate school personnel on the different cyber safe tools that can be used in curriculum instruction and delivery, and in identifying cases where they need to respond to cyber abuse and violence. DepEd-3 Regional Director May Eclar, said in a statement: "DepEd RO III expresses its iron-clad commitment to providing holistic development of Filipino learners in the region, and that all constitutional rights of every Filipino learner in the region shall be respected, promoted and fulfilled in order for them to have productive and meaningful lives as they participate in the noble nation-building project." (PNA) }