In five public high schools in Nasugbu, Batangas, students are spending less time listening to lectures and more time working through problems on their own. Barely a year in, the approach is beginning to show measurable results.
The schools — Nasugbu National High School, Balaytigue National High School, Bunducan National High School, Dr. Crisogono B. Ermita Sr. Memorial National High School, and Pantalan Senior High School — began piloting the Central Visayan Institute Foundation–Dynamic Learning Program (CVIF-DLP) in June 2025. The initiative was brought together through a collaboration between AIM Alumni Association 2024-2025 President Bobby Benares and his wife Judy, PLDT and Smart, AIM–International Movement of Development Managers, ABC Stars Inc., and DepEd Nasugbu West.
The CVIF-DLP, pioneered by Ramon Magsaysay Awardees Dr. Christopher Bernido and the late Dr. Marivic Carpio-Bernido, replaces traditional lecture-heavy instruction with structured Learning Activity Sheets that guide students through tasks step by step. The goal is independent mastery rather than passive absorption.
Early data from Balaytigue National High School shows consistent gains in mean percentage scores across subjects from the first to third quarter, alongside a notable drop in the number of students at the “frustration” reading level in Filipino. Science and mathematics scores improved steadily over the same period.
“Programs like CVIF-DLP show that meaningful learning gains are possible when students are empowered to take an active role in their education,” said Benares.
The Department of Education is preparing to expand the program to hundreds of schools nationwide. The Nasugbu pilot suggests the model can deliver results even in resource-constrained settings.
