“More than computers, we are turning over an opportunity” — DOST-CAR chief Bantog leads turnover of ₱2.7-million DLS package to two schools in Tabuk City

TABUK CITY, Kalinga — “More than the turnover of computers, what we are really turning over today is an opportunity.”

This was the heart of the message of Department of Science and Technology-Cordillera (DOST-CAR) Regional Director Dr. Nancy A. Bantog during the turnover of the ₱2.7-million e-TURO Digital Learning System (DLS) package to two public elementary schools in Tabuk City on September 28.

The package was turned over to Bulanao Central School and Laya West Elementary School at the Schools Division Office of Tabuk City in Bulanao.

For Bantog, the turnover was not simply about bringing computers and other equipment into classrooms but about creating greater opportunities for children to learn and for teachers to improve how they deliver instruction.

“But more than the turnover of computers, a smart TV, a local server, and internet connectivity, what we are really turning over today is an opportunity—an opportunity to improve how our children learn and how our teachers teach,” Bantog said.

She said technology becomes meaningful when it reaches learners and responds to their actual needs, which is also the principle behind DOST-CAR’s Smart and Sustainable Communities Program (SSCP).

The program seeks to help communities become smart, inclusive, resilient and technology-enabled by bringing science, technology and innovation closer to the people.

The equipment is only the beginning

Bantog stressed that the value of the e-TURO project will not be measured by the equipment delivered but by how the schools use and sustain it.

“It is what our teachers do with these tools, what our learners discover through them, and how our schools sustain their use that will ultimately determine the value of this investment,” she said.

Under the initiative, the two schools received 80 laptop computers pre-installed with Grade 2 learning contents, with 68 units allocated to Bulanao Central School and 12 to Laya West Elementary School.

Each school also received a Smart TV and a local server, along with 12 months of internet connectivity.

The e-TURO Digital Learning System is designed to make digital learning resources more accessible, particularly in areas where internet connectivity may be limited or unreliable.

It provides digital learning materials and tools that teachers can integrate into their lessons while giving learners additional resources to explore and better understand their subjects.

Teachers challenged to maximize e-TURO

Bantog challenged teachers to make full use of the system and ensure that the equipment would not simply remain unused inside classrooms.

“To our dear teachers, I challenge you: maximize eTURO,” she said.

She urged teachers to integrate the system into their instruction, explore its resources, share their experiences and continuously improve how technology is used in education.

She also encouraged learners to take advantage of the new resources by being curious, asking questions, reading, discovering and experimenting.

Beyond academic performance

Bantog said the initiative seeks to contribute to better learning outcomes, particularly in helping students understand Science and Mathematics and improve their performance in assessments.

Beyond grades, however, she said the project is also intended to nurture curiosity, creativity and critical thinking among learners.

Technology can make lessons more visual, simplify difficult concepts, provide opportunities to explore beyond textbooks and give teachers additional resources to make classroom learning more engaging, she said.

Bantog also reminded students to take care of the equipment, noting that some of them could eventually become scientists, engineers, teachers, entrepreneurs, researchers or innovators who could help shape the future of Kalinga and the Cordillera.

A partnership beyond the turnover

Bantog thanked the Tabuk City Government and the Department of Education-Tabuk City for supporting the initiative and opening their schools to technology-based learning.

She said the turnover does not mark the end of DOST-CAR’s engagement with the schools, as the agency will continue to provide support, monitor implementation, strengthen capacities and explore other opportunities where science, technology and innovation can contribute to education and community development.

She also emphasized that building smart and sustainable communities requires the participation of government agencies, schools, teachers, parents, learners, communities and other development partners.

For Bantog, the greatest value of technology is not simply the equipment itself but the opportunities it creates for children to learn, ask questions, imagine and create.

“And when technology expands that opportunity, we create not only smarter classrooms, but smarter, more capable, and more future-ready communities,” she said.

She further encouraged the project partners to use science, technology and innovation not only to modernize schools but also to open more possibilities for children.

“May eTURO become more than a learning system. May it become a pathway to greater possibilities for our children and a stronger future for Kalinga,” Bantog concluded.