Republic of the Philippines

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Region IX, Zamboanga Peninsula
Division of Zamboanga del Sur
DUMALINAO NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL
Paglaum, Dumalinao, Zamboanga del Sur

MODULE 2: MOST ESSENTIAL LEARNING COMPETENCIES

(MELCs)

Name of Member: Cris Jan M. Batingal _ Date: _____________

Designation: Teacher – I Group: 1

MODULE OBJECTIVE:
By the end of this module, you will be able to:
1. explain the background and development of the MELCs
2. unpack the MELCs
3. combine related competencies into learning objectives

MODULE CONTENT:
Lesson 1 - Background, Rationale, and Development of MELCs
Lesson 2 - Unpacking and Combining MELCs into Learning Objectives
LAC Session 2
 Republic of the Philippines
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Region IX, Zamboanga Peninsula
Division of Zamboanga del Sur
DUMALINAO NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL
Paglaum, Dumalinao, Zamboanga del Sur

LESSON 1: BACKGROUND, RATIONALE, AND

DEVELOPMENT OF MELCS
Activity 1

1. The closure of schools around the world due to the global pandemic posed serious challenges on the
delivery of quality basic education. As a teacher, what do you think are the fundamental concerns in terms of
curriculum standards that need to be addressed in order to ensure learning continuity? Cite a specific
example. Do you think teachers alone could solve these concerns? Why or why not?
With this global pandemic, we have today, this make education for children more difficult to achieve.
This also brings a big challenge to the Department of education to conduct education in this new normal
situation. The best way to address the problem is adapt this new normal learning by shifting to distance or
modular learning. With this strategy, we can ensure learning continuity. These concerns are not for teachers
alone but also with the collaboration of all the DepEd forces teaching and non-teaching staff, also, through
parents’ learners and stakeholders support.
As a teacher, I believe that narrowing down the learning competencies has become a huge factor in
order to deliver the only the most essential in this time of pandemic. However, one of the major concerns to
ensure that learning continues is the implementation process itself. Given the shortage of resources, schools,
teachers, and the community itself are finding means to bridge the gap.

2. Even prior to the spread of COVID-19 that eventually led to the closure of schools nationwide, the
congested curriculum has been a perennial problem of teachers (Andaya, 2018). This is perceived to be one of
the hindering factors on the poor performance of Filipino learners. Do you agree with this observation? Why
or why not?
I agree with what the department had perceived in their research. On my opinion, I am thankful
somehow with what COVID-19 had brought to us because DepEd has so much time to reflect with the
curriculum we have. The word congested was never in the language of DepEd’s higher officials. They are keen
to uphold the learners’ transformation when they undergo such excruciating pain with so much to cover.
What troubles me is the time they discovered that we have a congested curriculum was very
unfavorable. During the pandemic? Therefore, pandemic taught us to be more observant and resilient. It
transforms us to be better and adaptive like their strain continue to evolve!
There are many determinants to poor performance of Filipino learners yet what resurfaces always are
the transition and congestion. With more redundancies of papers being pushed not to the learners but to
teachers, we might have this illness of indigestion.
 Republic of the Philippines
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Region IX, Zamboanga Peninsula
Division of Zamboanga del Sur
DUMALINAO NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL
Paglaum, Dumalinao, Zamboanga del Sur

Activity 2
Familiarize yourself with the course reading on the Development and Design of the MELCs. After going
through the document, provide a brief and concise response to the following guide questions. Write your
answers in your Study Notebook.
1. What are the general and specific purposes of the development of MELCs?
The Department of Education's Bureau of Curriculum Development developed MELCs to cope with the
drastic change in the educational atmosphere due to COVID-19 pandemic. The focus of instruction were
streamlined to the most essential or the most indispensable learning competencies.
MELCs is also developed in response to UNESCO's fourth sustainable development goal and that is to
develop resilient education systems, most especially during emergencies. MELCs can be used as a mechanism
to ensure education continuity. Also, it intend to assist schools in navigating the limited number of school days
as they employ multiple delivery schemes by providing them ample instructional space.
2. How does curriculum review aid in the identification of essential learning competencies?
By making it compressed, each competencies will be prerequisites of the preceding competencies. Thus,
each competencies can be covered by making objectives aligned to the said competencies. Curriculum review
mapped the essential and desirable learning competencies within the curriculum. It also led to the
identification of gaps, issues, and concerns within and across learning areas and grade levels. It helped in the
identification of areas for improvement that would enhance the learning engagement, experience, and
outcomes and consequently recommend solutions. In addition, it analyze the interconnectedness of
prerequisite knowledge and skills among the learning competencies for each subject area.
3. What is the difference between essential learning competencies and desirable learning competencies?
The MELCs were identified according to the gaps, issues and concerns across learning areas and grade
levels. The decisions were made due to the limited number of school days and the absence of face-to-face
instructions at this time of pandemic. Hence, narrowing down the learning competencies is the best option the
DepEd has come up with.
4. How were the most essential learning competencies identified? What were the decisions made in order to
trim down the number of the essential learning competencies further?
Learning competencies are identified by knowing the following characteristics:

 it is applicable to real-life situations

 it would be important for students to acquire the competency after s/he left that particular grade level
 it is aligned with national, state, and/or local standards/ frameworks (e.g., scientifically-literate
Filipinos)
 it would not be expected that most students would learn this through their parents/communities if not
taught at school
 it connects the content to higher concepts across content areas
The MELCs are made aligned with the national/local standards, applicable to real-life and are the most
essential competencies that students are expected to learn despite this pandemic. The Department of
Education has made sure that with limited resources, time, and the absence of face-to-face instructions,
learners would still get the necessary competencies the need to acquire through these MELCs.
 Republic of the Philippines
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Region IX, Zamboanga Peninsula
Division of Zamboanga del Sur
DUMALINAO NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL
Paglaum, Dumalinao, Zamboanga del Sur

5. What is the importance of the MELCs in ensuring the delivery of quality instruction?
MELCS serves as a teacher guides in preparing our lesson (weekly home learning plan) and instructional
materials (Self- Learning Modules). MELCs ensures delivery of quality instruction as it becomes the primary
reference in determining and implementing learning delivery approaches that are suited to the local context
and diversity of learners while adapting to the challenges posed by COVID-19.

Activity 3
Prepare a copy of your learning area’s original K-12 Curriculum Guide and corresponding list of MELCs. Go to
the sections of the curriculum guide and MELCs that are relevant to your instructional needs. Copy and
accomplish the following table in your Study Notebook and compare the two documents to determine which
learning competencies were retained, dropped, or merged.

K to 12 Learning Competencies MELCs

G10 Q1:
Determines arithmetic means, nth term
3. Determines arithmetic means and of an arithmetic sequence and sum of
Merged/Clustered
nth term of an arithmetic sequence. the terms of a given arithmetic
4. Finds the sum of the terms of a sequence.
given arithmetic sequence.
1. Generates patterns. 1. Generates patterns.
Retained
2. illustrates an arithmetic sequence 2. illustrates an arithmetic sequence

5. Finds the sum of the terms of a

Dropped n/a
given arithmetic sequence.

Activity 4
In your LAC Session, discuss and share your answers to Activities 1-3 in this lesson. Discuss any
questions about the MELCs that need clarification as well. Share your thoughts and let your co-teachers
articulate their insights regarding your questions. Jot down all the insights shared in the discussion, including
your own, in your Study Notebook.
I appreciate the efforts of the Department who conceptualized this idea and put into practice. By next
time, they must adhere also the capabilities of the learners and the one who is the primary receiver of
knowledge and skills sets. Especially in mathematics curriculum, there is a huge gap between the transition
wherein the teacher can seize opportunity in the next topic yet constrain because it is not offered in the next
topic.
 Republic of the Philippines
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Region IX, Zamboanga Peninsula
Division of Zamboanga del Sur
DUMALINAO NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL
Paglaum, Dumalinao, Zamboanga del Sur

LESSON 2: UNPACKING AND COMBINING MELCS INTO

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Activity 1

Familiarize yourself with the course reading on Unpacking and Combining the MELCs. After reading the
document, provide a brief and concise response to the following guide questions in your Study Notebook:
1. What is the importance of unpacking and combining the MELCs?
We need to unpacked MELCS to help us systematize learning activities and effectively address the
varying needs of learners and the challenges of instructional deliveries.
By unpacking and combining the MELCs, we now have a clear path forward. This gives up a deeper
understanding on how these MELCs are selected. It will be much helpful for us to plan on how are we going to
implement our LCP more efficiently.

2. What considerations must be taken in unpacking and combining the MELCs? Explain each.
Alignment on the Content and Performance Standards. The MELCS are not departure from the
standard-based design. We must consider this to achieve a quality teaching output. Prerequisite knowledge
and skills - curriculum objective must be hierarchy. Mastering Fundamental knowledge is necessary before
going to the other level of learning. Logical sequence of learning objectives. We can’t give a better learning
ideas to our students if our objective is not logical sequence. Planning what are the most important objective is
key frame in achieving better understanding of our learners.
Moreover, the most Essential Learning Competencies should be aligned to the content and
performance standards of the all the learning areas which should be based on the learning needs of the
learners.
3. Do all the MELCs need to be unpacked or combined? Why or why not?
The teacher may unpacked or combined the MELCS depends on sequence of the lesson, the progress
and needs of learners as long as the content and standard will be achieved. In addition, unpacking the MELCs
are essential in order to have a systematic learning activity so that the competencies needed by the learners
are not congested or repetitive.
 Republic of the Philippines
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Region IX, Zamboanga Peninsula
Division of Zamboanga del Sur
DUMALINAO NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL
Paglaum, Dumalinao, Zamboanga del Sur

Activity 2
1. Form a group of four members within your LAC, preferably with fellow teachers in your respective learning
area.
2. Using the curriculum guide and a list of the MELCs, choose MELCs in the first quarter and unpack these into
learning objectives.
3. Each team will present their unpacked learning objectives. Discussion and processing will follow each
presentation. Suggestions and insights from each group will be considered in enhancing the learning
objectives.

Unpacking MELCs Sample

Sample MELCs Learning Objectives

Determines arithmetic means, nth term of an 1. Define an arithmetic mean
arithmetic sequence and sum of the terms of a given 2. Create an example of arithmetic mean
arithmetic sequence. 3. Differentiate arithmetic sequence and
arithmetic mean
4. Find the nth term of a given sequence

Combining MELCs Sample

Quarter Content Standard Performance Standard MELCs

Demonstrates Is able to formulate and 1. The learner generates
understanding of key solve problems involving patterns.
concepts of sequences, sequences, polynomials 2. Illustrate arithmetic
polynomials and and polynomial sequence
polynomial equations. equations in different 3. The learner
1 disciplines through determines arithmetic
appropriate and accurate means, nth term of an
representations. arithmetic sequence and
sum of the terms of a
given arithmetic
sequence.