About SDO
The 81st administrative division in the country, the Province of Davao Occidental has finally established its corporate existence. Situated in the southeastern corner of the country’s southernmost island of Mindanao which covers a total land area of 2,163.45 square kilometers, it is bounded by the province of Davao del Sur to the north; the Celebes Sea to the south; Sarangani to the west; and Davao Gulf to the east. Davao Occidental is composed of sandy beaches and the outlying islands of Sarangani, agricultural plains and valleys, rainforests, swamps, rolling hills, caves, and mountains including Balut Volcano, the province’s highest peak which is at 862 meters above sea level. It comprises five municipalities which all encompassed by a lone legislative district.
Upon its creation as a regular province, the Department of Education, Division of Davao Occidental was also pared out from its mother division, the Division of Davao del Sur. It was formally launched on March 27, 2017 by RO XI Director Alberto T. Escobarte along with the installation of the first Schools Division Superintendent, Reynaldo B. Mellorida, CESO VI.
This interim Schools Division Office, which functioned with 9.3 million financial appropriations, comprised 70 division personnel, 171 and 7 public and private elementary schools, respectively, and 26 and 6 public and private secondary schools, respectively with 3,600 employees serving some 85,132 learners including the private institutions. Currently, as a regular SDO, this operates with 206 Public Schools with 3249 teachers, 13 Private Schools with 124 teachers and 145 ALS Community Learning Centers with 146 ALS Implementers serving some 89,000 learners.
The five municipalities: Sta. Maria, Malita, Don Marcelino, Jose Abad Santos and Sarangani are the seat of the 10 Schools District Offices: Sta. Maria East and West Districts, Malita North, South East and West Districts, Don Marcelino District, Jose Abad Santos 1 and 2 Districts and Sarangani District. These comprised this SDO.
As these municipalities have been achieving the Seal of Good Governance. Consequently, its newfangled DepEd Division Office is hitching and propelling a promising governance as well. With its birth, the three functional divisions in the SDO are now functioning and are gearing towards its full operation. Individually, each one performs different functions but altogether work for the common good to deliver the best service to its clientele.
The Office of the Schools Division Superintendent (OSDS) was first supervised by Schools Division Superintendent, Reynaldo B. Mellorida, CESO V with Assistant Schools Division Superintendent Jinky B. Firman, CESE. At present, SDS Lorenzo E. Mendoza, CESO VI with ASDS Antonio P. Delos Reyes assumed the responsibilities. On the other hand, the Curriculum Implementation Division is under the watch of Mr. Felix I. Antecristo; while the Schools Governance and Operation Division is under the baton of Mr. Nilo L. Octura.
Way back 2017, this SDO was fleshed out through the benevolence of the Hon. Cong. Lorna Bautista Bandigan, Representative of the Province of Davao Occidental with the support of Gov. Claude P. Bautista and Vice Gov. Franklin P. Bautista. Its historic flag raising ceremony was ensued on March 14, 2017, at Fishing Village Comprehensive National High School, the seat of the original Davao Occidental Division Office. Later, the office got its place at Brgy. Lacaron, Malita, Davao Occidental.
It is opportune for this SDO to be situated in the jurisdiction dubbed as the Province Endless Possibilities to concretize and realize its tagline, “Turning Your Visions into Realities”. In his succession to a management of zeal to hitch the seal of good governance achieved by the province, SDS Lorenzo E. Mendoza, CESO VI assured an excellent management with his well-defined 10-point agenda for the Division of Davao Occidental.