Implementation of Joint Delivery Voucher Program Through Blended Reinforcement Activity for Competency Enhancement (Project BRACE)

The world was severely affected by the Covid-19 pandemic which brings chaos and uncertainty to everyone in society including the Education Sector. With the ongoing lockdowns and restrictions in different parts of the country, the education sector never stops pursuing to deliver the best kind of training and enhancement activities to the learners especially the Senior High School of the Technical Vocational Livelihood Track of Mataas na Paaralang Neptali A. Gonzales through


Introduction
The worldwide Covid-19 pandemic stops most sectors of society but the Education sector stands still.With the advent of the Learning Management System, education continues.A different online platform allows the students to perform various tasks even if they are not within the premise of the school.Quipper, Canva, Edmodo, DepEd Commons, and Google classroom are examples used by educators nowadays.Through LMS, educators upload files, conduct online classes, and assign and facilitate examinations.
During the Pre-pandemic, work immersion learners need to report and rendered their duty to their respective work industry partners to conduct and finish the 80 hours as a minimum requirement of DepEd under Work Immersion subject [1], [2], [3].Due to the crisis, most industry operations were suspended.More so, in the schools setting, physical attendance of the learners is prohibited, for this reason, the Work Immersion Subject (for Grade 12 TVL students) is greatly affected by its implementation therefore, students refrain from joining the industry to apply their talents and skills in the field of their specialization.
To augment the gap and needs in the curriculum, This Deped Memorandum the DM-CI-2020-00162 titled Suggested Strategies in Implementing Distance Learning Delivery Modalities (DLDM) for the school year 2020-2021 and the TESDA provided the Guidelines in Implementing Flexible Learning to TVET through Circular No. 062, s. 2020.This is in response to challenges brought about by COVID-19 and in accordance with the directive of the President that no face-to-face classes shall be held until the vaccine becomes available [4].The Joint Delivery Voucher Program (JDVP-TVL) aims to protect the health safety, and well-being of learners, teachers, and personnel, and to prevent further transmission of COVID-19 [5].
Republic Act 10533 directs the State to "create a functional basic education system that will develop productive and responsible citizens equipped with the essential competencies, skills, and values for both lifelong learning and employment."Employability skill is a group of important skills instilled in each individual in order to produce productive workforce.This is parallel with individuals who have strong characteristics such as a high sense of self, innovative, productive, skillful, competitive, a strong sense of determination, and creative in facing the challenges of the nation as well as globalization in the 21st century.Besides that, employability skill is also crucial in all professions as well as in education [6].To achieve this, the state is further instructed to "broaden the goals of high school education for college preparation, vocational and technical career opportunities as well as creative arts, sports and entrepreneurial employment in a rapidly changing and increasingly globalized environment." Operating this premise, the Joint Delivery Voucher Program for Senior High School Technical Vocational and Livelihood Specialization (JDVP-TVL) promotes partners between DepEd and qualified institutions and acknowledges the complementary roles of public and private educational institutions as stated in RA 8545 [7].Thus, DepEd Order No. 40, s.2021 was issued to allow potential JDVP partners whose locations are beyond the eight-kilometer (8 km) radius from the listed qualified DepEd Public Senior High Schools to participate in the program, provided that they meet the basic requirements and the capacity demands to provide the education and training to the JDVP-TVL learner-beneficiaries [8].

Participants and/or other Source of Data
The participants of this study are the selected 32 JDVP Beneficiaries from 12HE sections 1-4 of Mataas na Paaralang Neptali A. Gonzales, who had been chosen by their respective advisers.Below is the number of respondents from each section in Figure 1.Data were created from the collection of semestral grades (Cookery 1-4) and the grades given by the trainer.Then, computing the Mean grade to determine the significant difference in the level of performance of the respondents as revealed by their Mean grades before [9] and after the implementation of Project BRACE.To check the level of acceptability in terms of the objective of JDVP through Project BRACE as evaluated by respondents using a survey method while on the other hand, in measuring the level of acceptability of the learning outcomes, researchers used Focused Group Discussion based on the Competency Standards of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) in the National Certification Assessment [10].

Data Gathering Procedures
The researchers collected the TVL final grades of the 32 beneficiaries of Cookery from their respective advisers and the grade given by their Work Immersion TechVoc Institution during the JDVP Program [11].Consolidated grades of each competency were recorded and computed to get the Mean grades in both sources to determine the level of performance of the learners before and after Project BRACE.
The researchers used a survey method to determine the level of acceptability of 32 learner-beneficiaries of JDVP through Project BRACE as evaluated by respondents concerning Objectives and Learning Outcomes.They also used Z-test to measure the significant difference in the level of performance of the respondents as revealed by their Mean grades before and after the implementation of Project BRACE [12].

Innovations, Interventions, and Strategies
Distance Learning refers to a learning delivery modality where learning takes place between the teacher and the learners who are geographically remote from each other during instruction.This modality has three types: Modular Distance Learning (MDL), Online Distance Learning (ODL), and TV/Radio-Based Instruction.The JDVP-TVL uses Online Distance Learning.
JDVP-TVL was implemented in 2017 but in our Division, we have been part of SY 2020-2021 with the initiative of Mrs. Marife V. Arias, Education Public Supervisor in TLE-TVL, and with the support of SDO Mandaluyong Officials headed by Dr. Romela A. Cruz, Schools Division Superintendent.
The JDVP runs every 2nd Semester of the school year to augment the needs of the learners in their Work Immersion subject since the delivery of instruction is being done virtually.The Division Office selected the Tech-Voc Institutions that offer Tech-Voc Programs to handle the JDVP for each school in the Division of Mandaluyong.Each JDVP beneficiary will receive a JDVP-TVL voucher in the qualified public SHSs for Twelve Thousand Five Hundred Fifty Pesos per learner-beneficiary that covers the training cost for 320 hours per learner, tuition fee, and other expenses (e.g.learning materials, consumables for the workshop, operational and miscellaneous) for the TVL training needed to complete the applicable specialization for Grade 12 [13].
Project BRACE (Blended Reinforcement Activity for Competency Enhancement), supports JDVP-TVL in monitoring students' outputs and activities via online and/or physical submissions.In this project, we use combined Online Distance Learning and Modular Distance Learning to assist those who were not able to catch up on lessons due to some work, poor internet connection, and struggling students.This is in support of our Division Mantra "Batang Mandunong walang maiiwan, lahat kabahagi ng bilang".
The beneficiaries are expected to finish the whole duration of the program that runs within 40 days,except holidays and weekends.Schedules are arranged after the regular class hour for not to disturb their academic classes.Beneficiaries are also expected to showcase their skills and abilities in their chosen specialization.Submissions of trainees' outputs will be done in three ways: (1) via google drive (2) via Fb messenger and (3) physical submission in school every Friday (those who don't have loads and strong wifi connection) setting of appointment through school portal is a must.
The effectiveness of the program is being measured by getting the level of performance of the respondents as revealed by their mean grades before [14] and after the implementation of Project BRACE.

Plans for Dissemination and Utilization
Researchers will be disseminating the results of the findings through the conduct of a Focused Group Discussion to identify the learning outcomes per competency and Likert Scale in determining the acceptability of JDVP through Project BRACE and furnish a copy to be submitted to the School Division Office of the JDVP Focal Person, Ma'am Marife V. Arias, for further review and enhancement of the JDVP-TVL Programs and Activities.3.4 Significant difference in the level of performance of the respondents as revealed by their Mean grades before and after the implementation of the Project BRACE shown in Table 4.As a result of the performance of the respondents as revealed by their Mean grades after the implementation of Project BRACE, there is no significant difference in the performance level of the selected TVL respondents.

Challenges Encountered in the Implementation of the Project BRACE
To determine the challenges encountered in the implementation of Project BRACE, researchers used the Focus Group Discussion with Partner Institution, Students, and Work Immersion Teachers.Common challenges cited by the respondents are as follows: (1) Unstable Internet connections affect their submission of outputs and requirements of the course.
(2) Sometimes there is a delay in giving consumable provisions.And lastly, (3) Limited tools and equipment available at home.

Partner Institution (Manager A)
On behalf of the Horizon Technological Institute, we are honored to have Mataas na Paaralang Neptali A. Gonzales as one of our JDVP partners for SY 2021-2022.I don't have any bad experiences with your students.All of them are very submissive and have a willingness to learn more and they are very diligent in terms of work.I want to commend also their Work Immersion Teachers who are always giving support to their students from the beginning up to the end of the program.They help me in monitoring our learners, do some follow-ups, and give their full support to them throughout our sessions.The same compliment to the teacher-adviser of each section who visits us during our performance tasks.The challenges that we have encountered are the poor internet connection of some learners and some of them is a working students.Other than that I have nothing to say."Sana po Ma'am face-to-face nalang po para mamonitor po ng maayos ang bawat studyante in terms of the attendance po.Kaysa po sa screen lang po minomonitor."

Work Immersion Teacher a. Work Immersion Adviser A
"As we monitor the learners every day.They are very excited to prepare and cook their dishes because everything is provided for them.They have this feeling of being proud of preparing and cooking their OOTD (Output of the Day) because of the ample ingredients that they have on their table.In terms of meeting the competencies, most of them exert amazing outputs most specifically in doing platting.We are looking forward to having more vouchers in the next year to come so that we can help more students experience the fun, and in exploring more of their talents and skills while learning."b.Work Immersion Adviser B "Based on my observation Ma'am, maganda po.Although may mga batang hindi nkakakapag attend pero ginagawan parin ng paraan para po matapos ng estudyante yung mga tasks na dapat po nyang maisubmit and binibigyan po ng considerations lalo na po ang mga working student.Ang common struggle lang nman po nila ay ang poor connection, May mga bata na right after ng break hindi na po sila nakakabalik due to lost of connection or naubusan na po sila ng load.On the side of our partner po, meron lang pong isang instance na nadelay po ang pagbibigay ng kanilang consumable allowance, kaya maraming bata ang hindi pa po agad makapagsimula ng kanilang task.Based on my observation din po Ma'am, the way the trainerhandle the class is maganda po wherein nagbibigay rin po ng magagandang idea ang Ma'am Maricel sa mga bata kung paano po nila mapapaganda ang kanilang output.Wala man pong ibinigay na mga recipe sa mga bata, pero ang bata na po ang iisip ng paraan kung ano po ang ippresent po nya per activity"..

Conclusion
During the implementation of Project BRACE, some of the challenges encountered by the respondents are the following: for the Partner Institution only the working students were not able to submit on time the required task for each competency; for the Student, it is only the availability of their connections in their respective area is the major concern; and for the Work Immersion Teacher, have seen the changes in their student's attendance, willingness to perform, and very submissive on the tasks and activities of Project BRACE.

Table 1 .
Survey Results after Project BRACE

Table 3 .
Mean Grade Results in Cookery Subject (Before using the BRACE Program)

Table 4 .
Significant Difference On The TVL Grade (Before) and JDVP Grade (After)