Online Learning in the Philippines: How’s It Really Going?

In March 2020, the World × world
Tagalog - mundo;  Ilocano - lubong
Health Organization declared SARS-CoV2, better known as COVID-19, to be a global pandemic and implemented the world × world
Tagalog - mundo;  Ilocano - lubong
to go on quarantine. Everyone × everyone
Tagalog - bawa't isa; Ilocano - maysa ken maysa
was caught off guard × caught off guard
Tagalog - hindi nakahanda; Ilocano - haan nga naannad; Cebuano - wala kaandam
with this sudden announcement, especially schools since most, if not all, had not even finished the academic year of 2019-2020.

Months passed and virtual graduations came about but the COVID-19 situation × situation
Tagalog - situwasyon;  Ilocano - kasasaad
in the Philippines still hadn’t improved but rather, worsened. With that, there came the implementation of online classes × online classes
Tagalog - mga online na klase; Ilocano - online nga klase; Cebuano - mga online nga klase
for all schools. This brought mixed reactions among the citizens. In fact, many students called for the implementation of an ‘academic freeze’ because Internet connection is a privilege not many can afford, knowing × knowing
Tagalog - kilalanin;  Ilocano - ammuen
that the Philippines has one of the slowest yet most expensive × expensive
Tagalog - mahal;  Ilocano - nangina
Internet connections in the world × world
Tagalog - mundo;  Ilocano - lubong
. Many Filipinos × many Filipinos
Tagalog - maraming Pilipino; Ilocano - kaaduan a Pilipino
also do not own computers × do not own computers
Tagalog - hindi nagmamay-ari ng mga kompyuter; Ilocano - haan nga kukua ti kompyuter; Cebuano - wala katag-iya og kompyuter
and most internet cafes have closed down × down
Tagalog / Ilocano - pababa
, not to mention the many people × people
Tagalog - mga tao;  Ilocano - dagiti tattao
that have lost their jobs, closed their businesses, and the overall drop in the economy because of the pandemic. Many schools also had not lowered their tuition fees despite students not being physically present × not being physically present
Tagalog - hindi pisikal na nandoon; Ilocano - awan mismo isuna; Cebuano - wala dira nga pisikal
to use the facilities. 

There also came the issue if there is actual learning despite the lack of boundary between school and home × home
Tagalog - tahanan; bahay;  Ilocano - pagtaengan; balay
life × Life
Tagalog - buhay;  Ilocano - biag
. Indeed, this had caused quite a stir in the country × country
Tagalog - bansa
. Some students even decided to take a gap year or a sabbatical to help their families × help their families
Tagalog - tumulong sa kanilang mga pamilya; Ilocano - tulungan dagiti pamilya da; Cebuano - tabang sa ilang mga pamilya
earn money × money
Tagalog - pera; Ilocano - kuwarta
or because they felt that they aren’t getting value for their money × money
Tagalog - pera; Ilocano - kuwarta
. Others resorted to outrageous ways to pay their tuition fees like cybersex. There even have been reports of students actually dying × students actually dying
Tagalog - mga estudyanteng talagang namamatay; Ilocano - dagiti estudyante ket agpayso nga matmatay da; Cebuano - mga estudyante nga tinuod jud namatay
in a futile attempt to buy × buy
Tagalog - bibili;  Ilocano - gumatang
more mobile data or to look for a place with a decent connection. But for students who are privileged and determined × determined
Tagalog - determinado;  Ilocano - panggepen
enough believe that life × Life
Tagalog - buhay;  Ilocano - biag
must go on × must go on
Tagalog - kailangan magpatuloy; Ilocano - agnanayon nga agtultuloy; Cebuano - kinahanglan magpadayon
and that they have to adapt to the times as the pandemic won’t go away anytime soon × won’t go away anytime soon
Tagalog - hindi mawawala sa madaling panahon; Ilocano - haan nga pumanaw nga alisto; Cebuano - dili mawala sa dili madugay
.

The academic year 2020-2021 is a unique one that has tested the resilience and patience of students, teachers, and parents × parents
Tagalog - mga magulang;  Ilocano - nagannak
alike. For parents × parents
Tagalog - mga magulang;  Ilocano - nagannak
of young children, it has been a challenge × challenge
Tagalog - hamon
to make sure their children are actually learning × actually learning
Tagalog - talagang natututo; Ilocano - talaga nga agad-adal ; Cebuano - tinuod nga naay nakat-on
. Many parents × parents
Tagalog - mga magulang;  Ilocano - nagannak
have shared that it’s as if they’re the ones going to school and that they also double as tutors for their children to make sure they really understand the lesson; that is if the child is fortunate enough to have parents × parents
Tagalog - mga magulang;  Ilocano - nagannak
who work from home × work from home
Tagalog - trabaho mula sa bahay; Ilocano - agtrabaho ti balay; Cebuano - trabaho gikan sa balay
or stay at home × home
Tagalog - tahanan; bahay;  Ilocano - pagtaengan; balay
, to begin with. For parents × parents
Tagalog - mga magulang;  Ilocano - nagannak
who have to work × work
Tagalog - trabaho;  Ilocano - ubra
, there is the extra challenge × challenge
Tagalog - hamon
of making sure × making sure
Tagalog - nanigurado; Ilocano - siguraduen; Cebuano - nanigurado
their child attends class as not everyone × everyone
Tagalog - bawa't isa; Ilocano - maysa ken maysa
has a house helper or a relative who can keep × keep
Tagalog - mapanatili;  Ilocano - agtalinaed
the child accountable.

For older children, college, and postgraduate students, the real challenge × challenge
Tagalog - hamon
is to discipline themselves and maximize their learning × maximize their learning
Tagalog - mapalawak ang matutunan; Ilocano - umadu ti masursuro; Cebuano - ipahimuslan ang ilang pagkat-on
despite the technical difficulties. Technical difficulties commonly encountered include unstable wifi, running out of mobile data, and sudden power outages in the area, especially in smaller cities and provinces. While some teachers may be understanding × understanding
Tagalog - pag-unawa;  Ilocano - maawatan
with these situations, others tend to be unforgiving as these can be overused excuses × overused excuses
Tagalog - sumusobra sa mga dahilan; Ilocano - adu unay nga padespensar; Cebuano - mga pasangil nga nasobraan og gamit
for some students to avoid work × work
Tagalog - trabaho;  Ilocano - ubra
. Some students even abuse their privilege by going out despite having an ongoing online class or by leaving online lectures × leaving online lectures
Tagalog - pag-alis sa mga lektyur na online; Ilocano - talikudan ti online nga lektyur ; Cebuano - mamiya og mga online nga lektyur
to run things × things
Tagalog - mga bagay;  Ilocano - dagiti banag
in the background. Both sides are understandable but what else can be done with a pandemic still at large and a government with no clear game plan × plan
Tagalog / Ilocano - plano
of what to do next? 

There’s also the issue for school courses that require practical skills × require practical skills
Tagalog - kailangan ang praktikal na kasanayan; Ilocano - kasapulan nga sirib; Cebuano - kinahanglan og mga praktikal nga kahanas
like medical, art, and engineering on how they can hone their skills without physical interaction × physical interaction
Tagalog - pisikal na pakikipag-ugnayan; Ilocano - pisikal nga pannakisarita; Cebuano - pisikal nga pakig-uban
and practice. Schools have just adapted and decided to become creative × become creative
Tagalog - magiging malikhain; Ilocano - agbalin nga nasirib; Cebuano - mahimong mamugnaon
with their approach on this matter while some schools have opened hybrid type of classes in 2021 where a certain number of students attend some days then quarantine for the rest while another batch attends classes. People × people
Tagalog - mga tao;  Ilocano - dagiti tattao
would usually say that Filipinos are resilient; but what choice do they have when the system that should be helping them is against them? 

Nearly one year into online learning and indeed, it has been exasperating and tedious for students, teachers and, parents × parents
Tagalog - mga magulang;  Ilocano - nagannak
alike. No one would have expected this type of change in education. A new challenge × challenge
Tagalog - hamon
arises with the second surge of cases happening since 2021 began and it’s as if the Philippines is pushed back × back
Tagalog / Ilocano - likod
ten steps behind square one. However, with the recent vaccine rollout in the country × country
Tagalog - bansa
, there seems to be some hope that in-person × person
Tagalo / Ilocano - tao
classes will soon resume. With that, the Philippines can only hope for the best despite the rising number of cases and the odds seemingly going against them.

Learn × learn
Tagalog - matutuhan ;  Ilocano -  masursuro
Tagalog

Learn × learn
Tagalog - matutuhan ;  Ilocano -  masursuro
Cebuano

Learn × learn
Tagalog - matutuhan ;  Ilocano -  masursuro
Ilocano