ANALYSIS OF MELCs
Despite the threats posed by the continuous increase in the number of COVID 19 cases in the
Philippines, the Department of Education has stayed firm and optimistic that education would still be
possible in the country this year. True enough, it became viable through the DepEd’s Basic Education
Learning Continuity Plan (BE-LCP) which introduced the different alternative modes of learning delivery
and launched a modified set of learning competencies that learners need to acquire in the pandemic year.
This modified set of learning competencies are called the Most Essential Learning Competencies (MELCs),
which aims to serve as the main reference of the teachers for the content of their instruction.
The use of MELCs in English this school year is one of the most logical and practical decisions that
Deped has ever made considering the limited time, space, and interaction that both teachers and students
have, given the obvious danger and restrictions brought about by the prevailing health condition in the
environment. Because of this, learners would be directed to only the most important and useful learning
competencies and would no longer have to deal with too many competencies. On the part of the teachers,
they would also have to prepare for fewer but more meaningful and relevant lessons and focus on the
actual delivery of instruction.
As far as my perusal is concerned, the number of MELCs per quarter and per grade level is just
appropriate to the number of school days of the present year. The exclusion of
In English, the use of MELCs has been convenient for the teachers as there were enough teaching
and learning resources in the form of Self-Learning Modules (SLM) and portal-generated learning
resources readily available for usage. As early as June of 2020, soft copies of validated self-learning
modules in English for the First Quarter had already been distributed to schools for printing. Not only were
these SLMs enough in number, but they were also appropriate to the level and context of the learners.
The learning competencies were properly unpacked and there was a reasonable number of examples and
exercises for learners to examine and accomplish in each of the SLMs. In addition, there were also other
relevant resources uploaded in the Learning Resources Management and Development System (LRMDS)
portal and DepEd Commons which both teachers and learners could conveniently browse and use as
supplementary learning materials.
Apart from the SLMs and other resources from LRMDS and DepEd Commons, the Division of City
of Malolos also organized a pool of English subject teachers who could serve as writers of Learning Activity
Sheets (LAS). This initiative made the delivery of the MELCs easier and smoother for all the concerned
teachers in the division. The said activity sheets have gone through rigorous content and language
evaluation by a select group of teachers to ensure the quality of the resources before they were
administered to the learners. With their simple structure or format, localized examples, and
developmentally appropriate discussions and exercises, these LAS have effectively served their purpose
as MELC-based learning materials.
The new normal in the basic education system also enabled the teachers to utilize their innovative
skills in technology. In partnership with STI Malolos Campus, the Division of City of Malolos initiated the
production of video lessons in all subjects including English. The said videos were based on the released
MELCs and will be streamed in a platform developed by STI. These MELC-based video lessons will cater
those learners who learn best in the presence of visuals and audios during the learning process.
In general, the use and implementation of the MELCs in English has not been a struggle for the
English subject teachers because of the available number of and quality teaching and learning resources.
Teachers no longer had to look for other materials from other sources as every single type of resource is
already provided for them. However, although these materials have already been evaluated as to
correctness and appropriateness, it is still recommended for the concerned teachers to further modify
the said materials to make them more suited to the needs and interests of their learners.
Prepared by:
ROMMEL M. CASTRO
Bangkal Elementary School
District 8