SDO PAMPANGA: Celebrating a Legacy of Excellence through the Mission of Service

A Brief History of the Division of Pampanga

“Excellence is doing the right thing in the right way for the right reasons…”

The Schools Division Office of Pampanga is celebrating its 118 year of legacy of excellence through the God-given mission of service. Indeed, the province of Pampanga is very blessed with many people behind its success in promoting quality, accessible, and relevant education.

The education in the province of Pampanga was established by the virtue of Public Act Number 1 on Public Instruction in 1901. It started when the Thomasites came over to establish primary level education in Betis, Guagua, San Simon, and other progressed towns like Sta. Ana in 1903. Then in circa 1907, the creation of a Normal Institute in San Fernando was housed at Old Pampanga Hotel to train teachers for leadership management. In the following year, in 1908, San Fernando Primary and Intermediate School and Pampanga High School were established. As the years passed, the education system of Pampanga had greatly improved its quality under the leadership of the Superintendent Adam C. Derkum in 1926. It
highlighted the remarkable and memorable chapter for all Kapampangans. It is also interesting to note that a few years later, Mr. Demetrio, the first Kapampangan Superintendent, was appointed after several American superintendents and it was on his term when the full-blooded Kapampangan superintendents started to rule. In 1964, the Division of Angeles City was created which gave way for the separation of the said city from the Division of Pampanga.

The Division Office of the province was located at the Capitol Building until 1975 and at around 1976, was transferred to its present site beside Pampanga High School. Moreover, it is good to remember that the son of the first superintendent, Urban Derkum, an alumnus of Pampanga High School and the former Editor-in-Chief of Pampangan, came back to share Pampanga High School Scholarship Program during the incumbency of Superintendent Hermando Dizon from 1972 to 1986. During his term, the division of Pampanga was recognized by then Regional Director, Dr. Pura Tumeda – Liban as “a Division having a bad habit of being a champion” as it bagged the championship in the First National Mathematics Quiz Bee.

Then in 1995, a remarkable appointment of the first lady superintendent of the division of Pampanga, Dr. Elita Flor Umali, who started the promotion of “A Trail of Excellence; Good, Better, and Best, don’t let it rest, till good becomes better and better becomes best; Strive for More Strive for Better; Autograph Everything You Do for Excellence and Never Settle for Less Than the Best.” She also introduced many projects in her term as superintendent like project CLEAN (Capaligiran, Linisan, Egana-gana, Ayusan Ngan) and project ATAD (A Teacher A Day). Dr. Umali started Gawad Parangal as a divisional celebration to recognize the different winnings and achievements of the students, and teachers as well.

Furthermore, in year 2002, Madame Rosalinda Luna was considered as the successor of Dr. Umali who promoted “Project LINDA (Leading, Instituting, and Nurturing Desired Achievement)” for the different instructional supervision team of the supervisors. In her time, the Division of Pampanga won 1st
Place in the Central Luzon Regional Athletic Association meet both Elementary and Secondary level, Regional STEP and 4 years Highest Division Pointer during the Regional Press Conferences. Madame Luna, together with her subordinates, made a remarkable winning as the champion in the 2007 National Tagisan ng Talino sa Wika, Panitikan, at Talumpating Hindi Handa. As a result, she was recognized as Most Outstanding Division Superintendent in the whole DepEd Region III.

Moreso, in 2003, the Division of City of San Fernando was created as one of the highlights of the cityhood of the province’s capital. Dr. Nicolas T. Capulong then stepped up to be the new superintendent of the division after the retirement of Madam Luna on June 2011. He served the division with the NTC (No To Corruption) campaign for the schools and created more barangay high schools for the convenience of many Kapampangan students. He supported the certificate program of non-major teachers for Filipino, MAPEH and Araling Panlipunan and in his term, the Division of Pampanga won 8 winnings in the National Schools Press Conference in Butuan City.

In December 2012, Sir Malcolm Garma who came from the province of Zambales was installed as the new schools’ division superintendent. He promoted the Happy School Movement (HSM) to all schools for customers’ satisfaction and the first division to implement the Continuous Improvement Project (CIP). He also started in the division the standardized periodic test with the help of test constructors to achieve a unified most and least learned learning competencies. He also promoted the Learner – Centered – Learning (LCL) for all schools in the division, bridging leadership program for school heads and the retirees were recognized in his term.

One year after, in December 2013, Dr. Leonardo D. Zapanta, was appointed as the Officer-in-Charge – Schools Division Superintendent of the division. His charisma and his commitment in maintaining the quality of education in the division proved that the SDO Pampanga was still on the peak of success as seen in the different winnings, trainings, and programs of the department through his promotion
of the Happy Galing Lingkod. As part of his legacy, together with his assistant superintendents, he spearheaded the process of ISO certification to serve better in the whole division.

In 2015, the Division of Mabalacat City, the third City School Division was created. Even though these three city schools’ division were formed, the camaraderie of being a Kapampangan still manifests in every provincial celebration.

It could really be seen in the history of DepEd Pampanga that all
superintendents and assistant superintendents left an outstanding leadership in the
legacy of excellence with the mission of service! Here is the list of superintendents
and assistant superintendents from 1901 to present:

Indeed, the Division of Pampanga has a long way to go. It is blessed with remarkable leaders, teachers, and personnel who continue to uphold the highest quality of service to all customers and stakeholders. Boasting of being the biggest division in terms of human resources, the division is led by Schools Division Superintendent Dr. Leonardo D. Zapanta, CESO VI and Officer-in-Charge Assistant Schools Division Superintendent Dr. Leonardo C. Canlas, CESE (Elementary) and Assistant Schools Division Superintendent Rowena T. Quiambao, CESE (Secondary). The OSDS ensures access to, promotes equity in and continuously improves the quality of basic education in the schools’ divisions. It is also concerned with overseeing the implementation of programs and standards, building partnerships and networking with stakeholders of education, and making sure that financial, human, and physical resources of the schools’ division are managed effectively and efficiently.

Working collaboratively to fulfill the OSDS’s functions are the Offices of the Assistant Schools Division Superintendents for both elementary and secondary, the Legal Unit, the Information and Communication Technology Unit, and the Administrative Services composed of the following: Cash, Personnel, Records, ASSET Management and General Services. The Finance Services, on the other hand, is composed of the Accounting and Budget. The OSDS is powered by 99 committed and efficient staff.

Meanwhile, the Curriculum Implementation Division (CID) ensures effective full implementation of the articulated basic education curriculum (preschool, elementary, secondary, senior high school and ALS through localization/ indigenization and innovations in teaching the various subject areas towards improvement in the quality of learning outcomes. Composing of 52 experts with specialization in various learning areas, the office is headed by its Chief, Dr. Celia R. Lacanlale. This division provides technical assistance to schools in the areas of curriculum implementation, instructional supervision and learning resource management. Under the CID are the Education Program Supervisors (EPS) in-charge of instructional management and supervision, Learning Resource Management System (LRMS), and the Public Schools District Supervisors (PSDS). On the other hand, the Alternative Learning System (ALS) is led by an Education Program Supervisor with Education Program Specialists, catering to the out-of-school youth, expanding the access to education within the Province.

Completing the triumvirate of leading divisions is the School Governance and Operations Division (SGOD) headed by its chief, Dr. Arceli S. Lopez. Collaboratively working as a team are the 75 personnel and staff catering to all division stakeholders, this division is primarily accountable for the implementation of standards and policies relevant to managing schools for the purpose of effectiveness and quality management system, assessment, and technical assistance. The units under SGOD are: School Management Monitoring and Evaluation, Social Mobilization and Networking, Human Resource Development, Planning and Research, Education Facilities and the School Health.

DepEd Pampanga, through its Happy Galing Lingkod Advocacy, is committed to provide quality education to 337,395 learners with 33,395 (Kinder), 176,249 (Grades 1-6), 103,366 (Junior High School), and 24,745 (Senior High School) served by the 438 elementary schools, 119 junior high schools and 96 senior high school implementers who are under the servant leadership of 424 elementary and 121 junior and senior high school heads supported by 7,203 (Elementary), 5,122 (Junior High School), and 1,022 (Senior High School) dedicated teachers. A total of 1,163 non-teaching personnel (677 elementary and 645 junior and 185 senior high school) are also assigned on fiscally autonomous schools as well as in districts who consistently support school heads and teachers to ensure the effective implementation of various projects, programs, thrust, and other activities of DepEd.

As DepEd Pampanga continuously strives towards transforming and improving itself to better serve its stakeholders, it will forever forge commitment and collaboration with all stakeholders towards developing disciplined, valued ladened, highly motivated, and competitive learning communities of learners imbued with 21st century skills.