The reinstituted station will be vital in the delivery of educational materials despite weather events and other disturbances.
After soft-launching last December, the DepEd TV channel of the Department of Education is now gearing up for its full-blown launch this year.
Made possibke through a tripartite partnership with the Knowledge Channel Foundation, Inc. at Solar Learning, the reactivated channel will be vital in the continuity of learning, especially when there are calamities and other extreme weather events.
As part of its revitalization, DepEd will coordinate with its partners to ensure curriculum-based programs will be included in the broadcast-based instruction.
“Ngayong taon, ipagpapatuloy natin ang ating mga pagsisikap na magkaroon ng mas maraming opsyon para maipagpatuloy ang edukasyon tuwing may kalamidad. Gagamitin natin ang DepEd TV upang mas maging accessible ang pagkatuto—lalo na sa mga lugar na madalas tatamaan ng bagyo,” noted Education Secretary Sonny Angara.
In the blueprint is to make DepEd TV viewable in evacuation centers, where students can continue learning while being safe from imminent danger.
Meanwhile, in the lead-up to the official launch later this year, the DepEd TV bug version will eb rolled out and a comprehensive review of the programming grid will be conducted.
This is to ensure that shows will be anchored on daily learning logs of teachers and will be usable during class suspension and no-class days.
At present, there is 16 hours of programming on Knowledge Channel, which carries pre-recorded and K–12–aligned instructional videos in the subjects of Filipino, Math, English, Araling Panlipunan, at Science.
These have since been submitted to the Learning Systems Strand for the relaunch of DepEd TV.
The DepEd TV channel will be available on various linear platforms, such as digital free TV (via BEAM Channel 31 and SBN Channel 21), cable TV, at direct-to-home (DTH) satellite platforms.
The digital terrestrial TV channel will be available in the National Capital Region, Bulacan, Rizal, Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Bataan, Pampanga, Nueva Ecija, Baguio, Naga, Legazpi, Cebu, Iloilo, Davao, Cagayan de Oro, General Santos, and Zamboanga.