BAGUIO CITY, Philippines — The City Government of Baguio, the Department of Education–Schools Division Office (DepEd-SDO) Baguio City, Inquirer Interactive, Inc. and Inquirer Foundation Corp. have entered into a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) to implement the INQskwela Program for the School Year 2026–2027 at Baguio City Hall on June 17.
The partnership aims to improve reading comprehension, critical thinking, news literacy, and awareness of current events among junior and senior high school students in Baguio City.
The initiative was established in response to concerns over the country’s performance in international literacy assessments, particularly the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), which highlighted challenges in reading comprehension among Filipino learners.
Under the agreement, 25 participating public schools in Baguio City will receive daily access to Inquirer Plus, the digital edition of the Philippine Daily Inquirer.
Each school will be provided with 19 digital subscriptions to support classroom instruction and learning activities.
The digital newspaper will serve as a supplemental educational resource for subjects such as Araling Panlipunan (Social Studies), English, and Journalism.
Through regular exposure to news articles and current events, students are expected to develop stronger analytical and comprehension skills while becoming more informed citizens.
Inquirer Interactive Inc. and the Inquirer Foundation Corp. will provide technical support, monitor subscription access, conduct project evaluations, and organize educational activities including an inter-school Quiz Bee and debate competition.
The organization will also facilitate orientation sessions for participating students and teachers and feature stories highlighting the program’s impact.
Meanwhile, DepEd- Baguio will identify and coordinate the twenty-five participating schools, ensure the integration of newspaper-based learning activities into classroom instruction, and collect periodic feedback reports to evaluate the program’s effectiveness.
The program’s success will be measured through several key performance indicators, including improvements in students’ current-events literacy, critical-thinking abilities, learner feedback, and performance in the Quiz Bee and Debate Tournament.
The City Government of Baguio, through its Local School Board will fund the subscription package amounting to P285,000.00 for a ten-month implementation period.
In addition to the digital access, participating schools will receive opportunities for educational tours at the Inquirer offices, publication of selected school announcements, and exposure to educational content through the newspaper’s “Playgrounds for the Mind” section.
The agreement underscores the shared commitment of the City Government of Baguio, DepEd, and the Inquirer Group to promote quality education.
The INQskwela Program is expected to commence following the completion of procurement requirements and will run throughout the academic year, culminating in evaluation activities designed to measure its impact on participating students and schools.
The initiative is formalized through a MOA signing by Baguio City Mayor Benjamin B. Magalong, DepEd–SDO Baguio Superintendent Dr. Soraya T. Faculo, and Inquirer Associate Director Connie R. Kalagayan and National Sales Manager Roy Raul C. Mendiola. – Ariel Biala
