Merger Feasibility Study for Miputak Central School

Merger Feasibility Study

Prepared for the

Miputak East Central School

and

Miputak West Elementary School

Dipolog City Division
Quezon Ave., Miputak, Dipolog City
Division Merger Team
July 2015

Merger Feasibility Study for Miputak Central School

Merger Feasibility Study for Miputak Central School

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Cover Page

Page
i

Acknowledgments

iii

I. JUSTIFICATION ON THE NEED TO MERGE THE MIPUTAK AST CENTRAL SCHOOL

AND MIPUTAK WEST ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TO MIPUTAK CENTRAL SCHOOL
A. Purpose of the Study

B. Background

C. Student Enrollment History and Projections

D. Instructional Program

11

E. Staffing

12

F. Extra-Curricular Activities

14

G. Facilities

15

H. Student Transportation

15

II. PROPOSED ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE

16

III. SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT

16

IV. PROPOSED SCHOOL DEVELOPMENT PLAN

17

V. PROPOSED BUDGET

18

The Merger Process

18

Feasibility Study Process

23

Recommendation

23

References

24
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

A study with this purpose and magnitude could not have been
accomplished without the support and cooperation of many
individuals. We would first like to express our appreciation to the
City Division Officials headed by the super dynamic SDS Victorina G.
Perez, CEO VI, the Administration and Staff of Miputak East Central
School and Miputak West Elementary School
as well as their
respective General Parent Teacher Association Officials together
with their very supportive Baranggay Miputak Officials, for their
vision and concern for their children and community by engaging in
iii

Merger Feasibility Study for Miputak Central School

this study. Discussions about potential mergers of the two sister

schools are emotional undertakings, though silently, in the DepEd
City Division. However, the teams tasked to commence the merger knew
this was important work for the children and the affected schools
and they participated vigorously in this critical undertaking.
We also appreciate the leadership and support of the chiefs of
the School Governance and Operations Division (SGOD), Dr. Majarani
M. Jacinto and the Curriculum Instruction Division (CID), Dr.
Amelinda S. Montero with the untiring support of SGOD EPS Pergentino
S. Yabres and the City Division Engineer III Christopher Ace B. Bael
and other section heads and personnel. These individuals supported
this study in every way. They provided the merger team with
information, made arrangements for us to work efficiently with them
and generously gave of their time to ensure that the study was
completed with accuracy and in a timely manner.
We also wish to thank the LGU of Dipolog City under the
leadership of the visionary leader, the Honorable City Mayor Evelyn
T. Uy and the City Council who met with the City Division officials
and passed the resolution granting the merging of the two schools.
To these individuals and all other individuals who assisted the
teams in bringing this study to a successful conclusion, we offer
our deepest gratitude.

iv

Merger Feasibility Study for Miputak Central School

I. JUSTIFICATION ON THE NEED TO MERGE TWO SCHOOLS

A. PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
A number of factors are affecting the operation of some public
schools in the country today even in our city division. One notable
factor is the Department of Educations standards which continue to
rise since the implementation of the K to 12 Program three years ago
requiring students to do more especially in their performance in the
National Achievement Test (NAT)which is the basis of the
Performance-Based Bonus (PBB) of the teachers. These standards are
driven by a rapidly changing world where more skills than ever
before are required in order to be successful in college, the world
of work, or both. Consequently, pressures on schools to increase the
number of students who successfully complete elementary and Junior
high school also continue to mount.
At the same time that communities strive to do more for their
students, enrollments in some schools are slowing down. In Miputak
East Central School and Miputak West Elementary School maintaining
and expanding opportunities for students is an especially
significant challenge if student enrollments are on a downward path.
This downtrend started after the feeder community was relocated to
another baranggay at Galas Relocation Site ten years ago as well as
during the later phases who were relocated to Upper Dicayas, Sto.
Nio Village, and Sta.Cruz, Olingan.
The third challenge facing these affected sister schools is one
of resources. As school heads strive to provide more for their
students, financial challenges continue to grow in our nation and in
Dipolog City in particular. Our national economy is more precarious
than it has been in decades. Though the Philippines recorded a Government
Budget deficit equal to 0.60 percent of the country's Gross Domestic Product in 2014,
revenues were behind target by 5 percent while expenditures fell short by 13 percent
which means that the Philippines, as reported by Finance Secretary Cesar V.
Purisima, continues to stand on firm fiscal footing as we grow at a sustainable pace,
owing to the reforms that we have put in place,(Castro, 2015). These gains,
however, may be affected this year especially of the financial woes
affecting Europe and China recently coupled with the uncertainties
engulfing the Middle East and the African continent in terms of
peace and order and security. It clearly is time for courageous
school leaders to begin discussions about doing business
differently. Merging of two very adjacent schools like MECS and MWES
would be a courageous act only visionary leaders could do.
Last Summer of 2015, the City Division expressed interest in
pursuing a study to examine the merger of the sister schools owing
to the growing problems these school would inherit years from now.
Both the faculty and staff of the two schools expressed also their
interest in the merging since both campuses are so adjacent and
already headed by one school principal only. The city division then
began discussions about a possible two-way merger study that would
strictly follow what is ensconced in DepEd Order 40, s.2014, or the

Merger Feasibility Study for Miputak Central School

Establishment,
Merging,
Conversion, and Naming/Renaming of
Public Schools, and Separation of
Public School Annexes in Basic
Education Establishment, Merging,
Conversion, and Naming/Renaming of
Public Schools, and Separation of
Public School Annexes in Basic
Education mandate. As an alternative, the city division

officials planned out ways to pursue a merger feasibility study that

would recommend how the sister schools would enter into a formal
merger study. It was clear from the outset that the CID and SGOD
divisions as well as the Planning and Research section were going to
be partners in a subsequent formal merger study. The study was
undertaken to determine how the sister schools should pursue the
merger. As a result, the following purpose was defined for this
study:
Should, from a financial or instructional program perspective,
the Miputak West Elementary School enter into a merger study with
Miputak East Central School? If yes, how should the merger be
smoothly implemented?
On June 15, 2015, the Miputak East Central School and Miputak West
Elementary School headed by Mrs. Evelyn R. Jumawan, ESP-III executed
a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the Schools Division
Superintendent as an important milestone towards the merging of
these schools. Why is merger a possible option for these sister
schools who are facing the challenges listed above? There are a
number of reasons:
1. Creating central schools with larger student enrollments
will allow the City Division the critical mass of students
necessary to offer the types of programs that are simply not
possible given the smaller enrollments of Miputak West Elementary
School, a smaller school;
2. A larger central school will create some economies of
scale that are not possible in a smaller elementary school;
3. Significant DepEd financial incentives could be in place
for merged schools like operating aid incentive. This enhancement
would then be maintained for a given period of time as part of
the transition period after consolidation;
4. For a given period of time after the merger, building
incentive aid could also be enhanced for the merged schools, to
be determined depending on its enrollment status. This makes it
financially easier for the new central school, or Miputak Central
School, to maintain and enhance its facilities.

Merger Feasibility Study for Miputak Central School

It has always been understood that this is a feasibility study of

a possible formal merger study conducted in conjunction with the
Department of Education. Should this committee give the go-signal
for a merger, the required documents stipulated in DO 40, s. 2014
would then be forwarded to the Central Office through channels for
approval.
B. BACKGROUND
Baranggay Miputak is one of the 21 political baranggays
comprising the City of Dipolog. As of 2009 National Census,
Baranggay Miputak has a population of 11,336 spread across 85
hectares of space, thus, the population density for Miputak is
1:74.8239 sq.m.The revenue income of the baranngay amounted to Php 5
757 163.41 with an actual IRA of Php 4 014 270.00 last year. At
present, there are two elementary schools created in Baranggay
Miputak.
The Miputak East Central School (MECS) and its adjacent sister
school, the Miputak West Elementary School (MWES), are both located
in the West District. Though located in the financial hub of
Baranggay Miputak, the schools are rural in nature. There is no
major industry in the area, but it is conveniently surrounded with
commercial
establishments
usually
financial
banks,
lending
institutions, food and beverage shops, mall, bus terminal and
construction or hardware stores. The vast majority of the property
in the vicinity is residential and many of the residents are on
fixed incomes. Each of these establishments can be reached using a
motorcab, the most convenient public transportation available for
the students, teachers and parents (See Figure 1). The merged school
is also in proximity with other amenities of the City.

Merger Feasibility Study for Miputak Central School

Figure 1. Comparative Map with Other Establishments

The Miputak East Central School was created in 1928. It occupies
more than half of the entire block on the north side or about 1.7324
hectares. Created in 1977, Miputak West Elementary School occupies
the south part of the block, about one-third smaller at 5,000 sq.m
than its sister East Central School. Years ago, both schools largely
catered the education needs of the then ever-growing population of
its feeder communities along the coastal areas west of the city now
replaced with the very famous tourist attraction, the scenic City
Boulevard. Figure 2 is a Wikimapia Satellite Image of the entire lot
where Miputak East Central School and Miputak West Elementary School
are located. Please note that MWES site is inside the MECS lot, one
good reason why the two schools should be merged together.

Merger Feasibility Study for Miputak Central School

Figure 2. Wikimapia Satellite Image of Miputak East Central School

Land Area
Presently, these sister schools are temporarily merged under the
management of its Elementary School Principal III, Mrs. Evelyn R.
Jumawan. Table 1 shows some highlights between the two schools.The
proposed newly merged Miputak Central School is now offering BEC in
Grades 5-6, Kinder to Grade 4 and SPED from headstart to Grade 6 for
three years now. Last school year, the total pupil enrollment in
Miputak East Central School was 1,145 compared to Miputak West
Elementary School of 277 pupils only, thus, the pupil:teacher ratio
in both school is approximately about 36:1. With regards to the
appraised values of the school buildings, the Mother school East
Central School buildings were appraised at Php 10,599,780.00 while
the school buildings in West Elementary School were appraised at Php
6,356,00.00. Merging these two school would now increase the net
worth of the merged school.

Table 1
Important Highlights of Miputak East Central School and Miputak
West Elementary School
Highlight
Previous Enrollment
SY 2014-2015
No. of Teachers
SY 2014-2015

Miputak East CS

Miputak West ES

1,145

277

31

Merger Feasibility Study for Miputak Central School

Appraised Value of
School Buildings

Php10,599,780.00

Php 6,356,000.00

Lot Area

1.7324 ha

0.500 ha

Facilities

BEC GR. 5-6, SPED, K6

BEC GR. 5-6, GR. 1-4

The people in the area generally speak Cebuano language, however, there are
some who speak Tagalog and some English for there are residents who married
foreigners. Our Muslim brothers and sisters, too, also prefer the serenity of the
baranggay and feel their coexistence with their non-Muslim neighbors as very
cordial.
Through the years, the school has served as a separate unit and has won major
awards and distinctions in district, division and regional levels. Table 2 shows some
of these awards and distinctions.
Table 2
Academic Awards Received between MECS and MWES
Academic Awards
Received
Science Quiz Bee
Nutri Quiz Bee
MTAP

MECS

MWES

Champion (Gr. 2)
Champion (District, Gr. 6)
Champion (District, Gr. 3,
6)

Table 3
Non-Academic Awards Received between MECS and MWES
Non_Academic Awards
Received
Football
Table Tennis
Spot Painting
Newswriting (Eng)
National Schools Press
Conference

MECS

MWES

Champion (Regional)
2nd Place (City Meet)
Champion (District)
3rd Place (Regional)
Qualifier

As the table shows, none of the pupils coming from MWES received awards or
distinctions in both academic and non-academic. This is another reason why the

Merger Feasibility Study for Miputak Central School

merger should be approved.

C. STUDENT ENROLLMENT HISTORY AND PROJECTIONS
All students should basically enroll before they can be officially admitted in any
school although DepEd Order mandates that no public school can refuse any pupil
wanting to enroll in any public school even without any supporting document or
school fees.This is how public enrollment is observed during the enrollment period in
all public schools throughout the country. This school year after the opening of
classes last June 1, 2015, all school heads must report their enrollment status to the
division office on June 5 to provide an initial trend of the current enrollment
throughout the country. So how important are these enrollment data in the public
schools? Let us examine the enrollment in MECS and MWES in the last three years
as reflected in Table 4.
Table 4
Comparative Enrollment of MECS and MWES in the Last Three Years
Year Level
2011-12

MECS
2012-13

2013-14

2011-12

MWES
2012-13

201314
Kindergarten
116
130
100
I
242
198
160
65
69
63
II
127
202
188
60
61
61
III
133
128
191
54
62
54
IV
139
115
137
55
72
56
V
130
142
109
48
59
65
VI
140
123
125
48
82
57
TOTAL
911
1038
1010
330
405
356
DECREASE
-2.70%
-12.10%
Table 4 presents the enrollment in both campuses for the last three years. As
shown in the table, both schools experience reduction in enrollment during the school
year 2013-2014 where MECS got a -2.70% enrollment compared to -12.10% for
MWES. This reduction coincided with the relocation of the affected families
displaced during the latest phase development and expansion of the City Boulevard.
As revealed in the table, public school enrollment is largely reflective of
demographic changes in the population. During the school year 2010-2011, using
much earlier data of enrollment in both campuses, Figure 3 shows a downward trend
in their enrollment record which indicated a sudden change in the demography of the
feeder communities. Upon closer look, this reduction in the enrollment trend also
coincided with the relocation of residents affected by an earlier phase development of
the City Boulevard where majority of the families of these children lived. This
implies that demographic changes in the population indicate the overall changes in
public school enrollment as well as changes in public school enrollment within grade
levels due to man-made factor. This suggests another reason why these schools
should be merged.

Merger Feasibility Study for Miputak Central School

Figure 3. Six-Year Enrollment Track of Miputak East CS and

Miputak West ES
Accurate enrollment projections are essential data for the City
Divisions long range planning. Virtually all aspects of division
or school operation including program, staffing, facilities, and
finances are related to the number of students enrolled. For this
reason, updated enrollment projections are crucial and serve as the
first aspect of analysis for this study. Please consider the
enrollment projections for the proposed merged school, the Miputak
Central School in five years beginning this school year 2015-2016 to
school year 2019-2020 as shown in Table 5. The projected enrollment
shown in Table 5 follows the commonly used formula among Planning
officers which is the addition of 2.2% from the previous year and
succeeding school years.
Table 5
Miputak East Central School (School ID#125974) and Miputak West Elementary
School (School ID#125975) Current and Projected Enrollment for Five (5) Years, By
Grade Level as Merged
GRADE
LEVEL
Kindergarten

Grade 1
Grade 2
Grade 3

SY 20152016

SY 20162017

SY 20172018

SY 20182019

SY
2019-2020

121
195
189
200

124
199
193
204

126
204
197
209

129
208
202
213

132
213
206
218

Merger Feasibility Study for Miputak Central School

Grade 4
Grade 5
Grade 6
Total

245
225
173
1348

250
230
177
13787

256
235
181
1408

262
240
185
1439

267
245
189
1471

The procedure stated above is just one example in projecting

student enrollment. Projecting student enrollments is referred to as
the Cohort Survival Methodology. This methodology is highly reliable
and is the most frequently used projective technique for making
short term division enrollment projections. Ideally, or based from
international standards, to calculate enrollment projections, the
following data and procedures are used:
Six year history of district enrollment by grade level
Calculation of survival ratios by grade level
Kindergarten enrollment projections based on resident live
births
How to use the survival ratio? A survival ratio is obtained by
dividing a given grades enrollment into the enrollment of the
following grade a year later. For example, the number of students in
grade 3 in any year is divided by the number of students in grade 2
of the previous year. The ratios indicate the proportion of the
cohort surviving to the following year. Cohort refers to the
enrollment in a grade for a given year.
Using grade-to-grade survival ratios, an average of these ratios
for each cohort progression is obtained. This average is referred to
as an average projection survival ratio. This ratio is then
multiplied by each current grade enrollment to obtain the projected
enrollment for the next successive year. The multiplicative process
is continued for each successive year. Let us take a look on how
this method will work out compared to the actual enrollment in each
campus as presented in Table 6.
Table 6
Projected Enrollment vs Actual Enrollment in MECS and MWES Using
the Grade-to_grade Survival Ratio
School
Year
2010-11
2011-12
2012-13

NE
807
804
897

MECS
NP
852
899
897

NA
804
897
948

NE
392
358
337

MWES
NP
390
388
386

NA
358
337
405

As reflected in the table, projected enrollment, NP, is way

too high compared to the actual enrollment, N A,during the first two
school years in MWES campus but almost the same for MECS in the next
two school years with NP = 948 and NA = 944 while in MWES, NA exceeds
that of NP by about 5%. This implies that grade-to-grade survival
ratio as projective technique to project future enrollment does not
work well for MWES but predictive for MECS. This means that either
formula gives us only a possible glimpse of what the enrollment
would be into the future in an ideal setting provided the feeder

Merger Feasibility Study for Miputak Central School

communities of the school are not displaced either by natural or

man-made factor.
In addition, survival ratio is also another projective
technique useful in projecting student enrollment. Survival ratios
usually have values close to one, but may be less than or greater
than one. Where the survival ratio is less than one, fewer students
survived to the next grade. Where the survival ratio is greater
than one, more students survived to the next grade. Grade-tograde survival ratios reflect the net effects of deaths, dropouts,
the number of students who are home schooled, promotion policies,
transfers to and from nonpublic schools, and migration patterns in
and out of the school division.
Since estimating births introduces a possible source of error
into the model, it is advisable to limit enrollment projections to a
period for which existing data on live residential births can be
used. This means that enrollment projections are possible for five
years into the future for the elementary grades, which is usually
sufficient for most planning purposes. Beyond that point, the number
of births must be estimated and the projective reliability is
greatly reduced. Enrollment projections for grades 7 and 8 and for
grades 9-12 can be projected for ten years into the future.
Live birth data is then compared with the kindergarten enrollment
five years into the future. As demonstrated in the sample chart
below, babies born in 2015 will be in kindergarten in 2020-21,
babies born in 2016 will be in kindergarten in 2021-22, and babies
born in 2017 will be in kindergarten in 2022-23. The ratio of live
births to kindergarten enrollment for the past three years is shown
in the following chart:
Table 7
Sample Calculation of Average Live Birth to Kinder Ratio
Calculation: Average Live Birth to Kindergarten Ratio

Year

Live births

School year
five years
after

Corresponding
K enrollment

Live birth K
enrollment
correlation

2015

67

2020-21

57

0.85

2016

79

2021-22

68

0.86

2017

89

2022-23

62

0.70

Three year average live birth K correlation

0.80

Unfortunately, the local DSWD does not have any updated records
of live births for Baranggay Miputak so using this method to project
the future enrollment at both campuses beginning this school year
2015-16 for five years or ten years into the future could not be
concretely demonstrated.

10

Merger Feasibility Study for Miputak Central School

There are other ways to determine the projected enrollment

besides the methods discussed above but are not relevant anymore for
further discussion in this study.
Another important factor that reflects the performance status of
a school is through the performance indicators. This is revealed in
the following table.
Table 8 reveals that MWES has lower enrollment rate in all three
school years compared to MECS. Significant highlight in the table is
the Teacher-Pupil ratio of MWES which is 1:28 in Primary, way too
small compared to 1:36 for MECS. With regards to survival rate,
remember that survival ratios should have values close to one, but
may be less than or greater than one. Where the survival ratio is
less than one, fewer students survived to the next grade. Where
the survival ratio is greater than one, more students survived
to the next grade. MECS survival rates are between 0.90-1.10 which
means many pupils survived to the next grade compared to MWES which
is between 0.0002-0.010. This finding also shows another reason why
MWES should be merged with MECS to create the Miputak Central
School.
Table 8
Performance Indicators for Miputak East Central School and Miputak
West Elementary School in the Last Three School Years
Performance
Indicators
Enrollment Rate
Participation Rate
Survival Rate
Retention Rate
Transition Rate
Repetition Rate
Completion Rate
Promotion Rate
Drop-Out-Rate
Failure Rate
Teacher Pupil Ratio
Teacher-Pupil Ratio
(Primary)
Teacher-Pupil Ratio
(Intermediate)

2011-12

MECS
2012-13

2013-14

0.07
0.21
0.98
0.98
0.98
0
1.045
1.00
0
0
1:38
1:42

0.08
0.18
1.13
0.90
1.02
0
0.848
1.00
0.0004
0
1:34
1:38

0.08
0.20
1.07
0.94
0.96
0
1.00
1.00
0.001
0
1:33
1:36

1:34

1:29

1:30

MWES
2011-12
201213
0.00031 0.00028
0.030
0.00027
0.0063
0.007
0.10
0.0092
0.92
0.91
0
0
0.68
0.70
1.00
1.00
0
0
0
0
1:31
1:29
1:32
1:30
1:33

1:29

201314
0.0021
0.010
0.0080
0.0094
0.94
0
0.80
1.00
0
0
1:35
1:28
1:41

D. INSTRUCTIONAL PROGRAM
Next factor to look into is the instructional program offered in
each school. In the instructional supervision report of the school
head, she reported that the supervision of instruction by the school
11

Merger Feasibility Study for Miputak Central School

head is designed for a developmental process to help improve the

instructional program and teaching because the pupils learning is
the main concern of the school. The essential function of any school
is to educate the students who attend that school.
An important activity in analyzing these two merged schools is to
compare the curricular offerings that they provide to their
students. Ideally, a newly-merged schools reorganization should
not only maintain the level and quality of the education in each of
the original schools but also enhance and/or expand it. However, in
the case of the merging between Miputak East Central School and
Miputak West Elementary School the instructional program offering is
not affected since both schools have the same program except for the
SPED program which is already offered in Miputak East Central
School. This two-school, one-principal management for the proposed
Miputak Central School was created on July 11, 2013 as reflected in
the assignment order of its present principal by the Schools
Division Superintendent. Hence, the merging of these schools will
not be affected during the transition period.
At present, the merged school is implementing the Basic Education
Curriculum in Grades 5-6 and is also implementing the K to 12 Basic
Education Curriculum from Kindergarten to Grade-4 and SPED class
(fast learners).
The merger team understands that there is more to analyzing the
depth and breadth of a grade school curriculum than comparing course
titles. Both schools in this study deserve recognition for their
curricular commitment to the young people in their communities.
E. STAFFING
A review of the curriculum listing by subject area with
enrollment charts and the projected student enrollments indicates
that the possible merger could lead to a more efficient
instructional staffing. When either of the two sets of these
schools populations is consolidated, existing small class
enrollments, especially those below 30, would be absorbed by
corresponding larger enrolled classes, assuming no scheduling
obstacles. The same thing will happen to the existing teachers in
both schools: a larger school would have more teachers bringing with
them their items and highest educational attainment as illustrated
in Tables 9-11.
Table 9
Highest Educational Attainment of Existing Faculty and Combined
Faculty Force
Combined
Highest Educational
MECS
MWES
Faculty Force
Attainment
N
P (%)
N
P (%)
N
P (%)
Post-Graduate
0
0
0
CAR Doctoral
1
3.2
0
1
2.56
Graduate
2
6.5
0
2
5.13

12

Merger Feasibility Study for Miputak Central School

CARMA
College
TOTAL

5
23
31

16.1
74.2
100.0

3
5
8

37.5
62.5
100.0

8
28
39

20.51
71.80
100.00

An initial review of the staffing implications leads to the

possible addition of teachers in the new merger. A more detailed
analysis of the effect on staffing would be completed as part of a
formal merger study. Let us take a look at the staffing of both
schools as reflected in their respective School Form 7 (SF-7) ending
March 30, 2015.
Table 10
Plantilla Positions of Teachers in MECS and MWES
Plantilla Positions

MT-2
MT-1
T-3
T-2
T-1
TOTAL

MECS

MWES

P (%)

P (%)

1
1
12
3
14
31

3.2
3.2
38.7
9.7
45.2
100.0

0
2
4
0
2
8

25
50
25
100

Table 11
Plantilla Positions of Teachers when MECS and MWES are Merged
Plantilla Positions

MT-2
MT-1
T-3
T-2
T-1
TOTAL

Miputak Central School

N

P (%)

1
3
16
3
16
39

2.56
7.70
41.02
7.70
41.02
100.0

As what Table 11 shows,the distribution of teachers in the merged

school would be more beneficial to them because four Master Teachers
will be assisting the school head in mentoring the other 35
teachers.
This means that there will be one Master Teacher for
every nine teachers.
If this is adopted after the merging, the
instructional expertise of the MTs will be shared efficiently to
these teachers because this ratio is a very manageable number.
F. EXTRA-CURRICULAR AND INTERSCHOLASTIC ACTIVITIES
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Merger Feasibility Study for Miputak Central School

The involvement of students in extra-curricular activities is an

important aspect of any school in the Division. Extra-curricular
activities play an important role in supplementing the instructional
program by allowing students the opportunity to expand their
horizons of learning and to showcase talents they possess in areas
other than in the classroom. Research has consistently shown that
students who are involved in extra-curricular activities have a
greater likelihood of being successful in school. These students
also have a greater probability of completing their school
experience and acquiring a high school diploma. The availability of
extra-curricular opportunities for students increases as the size of
the school increases. There are more clubs and other activities in
which students can participate in a larger school than in a smaller
school. While opportunities to participate are greater in a larger
school, the competition to participate in any single activity will
also increase. We have looked at the extra-curricular activities in
each school as revealed in Table 2 and 3 above. The following is a
summary of the other awards received by the merged school last year
(Table 12).
Table 12
Other Awards and Distinctions Received Last Year When the Two
Schools were Merged
School Accomplishment

Awards or Distinctions

Science Quiz Bee (Gr. 2, 3)

1st Place (District Level)
Science Journalism
1st Place (Division Level)
MTAP
2nd Place (Division Level)
Newswriting (English)
3rd Place (Regional Level)
Gymnastics (Boys)
1st Place (District Meet)
Table Tennis
1st Place (District Meet)
Table 12 clearly shows the advantage of a larger school in terms
of awards and distinctions. This is precisely what will come out
because a larger number of opportunities would be available to the
students because of the newly created, larger student population
base. Merging of MWES to MECS could bring about the opportunities
that MWES is seeking for its students.

G. FACILITIES
The proposed Miputak Central School is located along the National
Highway of Quezon Avenue just within the heart of the community of
Miputak. The natural setting of the school is used for an outdoor
program in the community. Within the school property is also the
City Schools Division Office.
The present buildings at Miputak Central School comprise several

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Merger Feasibility Study for Miputak Central School

classrooms that could sufficiently accommodate pupils coming

from MWES even without utilizing the vacated classrooms in the
MWES. The Merger Team found out that there are actually sufficient
number of classrooms for Miputak Central School. In fact, there are
existing rooms now owned by MECS which are currently used for
Principals Office, DepEd Clinic, ALS Office, Division Supply
Office, MSEPK Room, Canteen and computer rooms besides those other
rooms used as classrooms. The school management proudly boasts of
having all well-ventilated rooms ensconced in a cool and safe
climate making them very conducive for learning.
The home-like
environment and the individualized attention given to each pupil
combine to make a warm, caring atmosphere where the children can
blossom in the merged school.
Another important asset of the merged school is its covered
court. Its big covered court is conveniently located inside the
campus which has been used on many occasions whether district or
division level activities. In fact, City Division World Teachers
Day Celebrations were always held in this covered court. Merging the
two schools, indeed, would not result to lack of facilities or
inconvenience as a result of the expected influx of students coming
from the smaller MWES. These MWES students, in fact, could now also
enjoy the amenities at MECS which they have not enjoyed in their
former school.
H. STUDENT TRANSPORTATION
A review of the school map shows that MWES is considerably
smaller than MECS. Since the two campuses are very adjacent to each
other separated only by a concrete perimeter fence, transportation
of the affected MWES students will not be affected. The motorcab
fare would just be the same and in fact it is more accessible
already because the entrance gate of the proposed Miputak Central
School is facing the Quezon Avenue highway.

II. PROPOSED ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE

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Merger Feasibility Study for Miputak Central School

Figure 5. Proposed Organizational Structure of Miputak

Central School
III. SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT
Figure 4 shows the aerial view of the two campuses. The school
environment of the proposed Miputak Central School would be very
conducive for learning once these schools are merged.

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Merger Feasibility Study for Miputak Central School

Figure 4. An Aerial View of the School Environment

IV. PROPOSED SCHOOL DEVELOPMENT PLAN

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Merger Feasibility Study for Miputak Central School

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Merger Feasibility Study for Miputak Central School

V. PROPOSED BUDGETARY REQUIREMENT

In an era of aggressive public education reform, it is important
to ask not only whether new initiatives are effective in raising
student achievement, but also how they can best maximize current
investments in teaching and learning.
Aside from funding for school property, government money for public schools
comes in two main 'parcels'. One is salaries of all teachers and the other is operational
funding. Will these two important parcels of budgetary allocations be affected by
the merging of the school? The answer is NO. Table 13 shows the MOOE of each
school and the proposed budget for the merged Miputak Central School. The existing
MOOE funds for each school will be combined for the new proposed Miputak
Central School.
Table 13
Existing MOOE Funds of MECS and MWES when Used as the Proposed Budgetary
Allocation for Miputak Central School
Source of Fund

MECS

MWES

MOOE

Php459,600.00

Php240,000.00

Proposed
Miputak Central
School Budget
Php699,600.00

The table reveals that the day-to-day operations of the proposed

Central School could be financed using the existing MOOE of the two
schools, provided, however, that this scheme is in line with the
existing auditing rules and regulations.
THE MERGER PROCESS
The merger feasibility study has now been completed and
presentations on the study will be made to the Region. Ample
opportunity for questions and answers will be provided by the
Division Team headed by the SDS to the Regional Office responsible
for the approval of school merger or establishment based on the
requirements laid out in DO 40, s. 2014 otherwise known as the
Revised Guidelines on the Establishment, Merging, Conversion, and
Naming/Renaming of Public Schools, and Separation of School Annexes in Basic
Education. It aims to provide comprehensive guidelines to streamline, synchronize
and update the aforementioned work processes. The systems and procedures
including the criteria set therein shall be used as guide by the DepEd Central and
Field Offices/Units as well as the Department's external stakeholders to ensure that
schools to be merged are in accordance with DepEd quality standards to enhance the

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Merger Feasibility Study for Miputak Central School

delivery of basic education. In this regard, the Merger Team tried its best to comply
with all the requirements herein enumerated below:

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Merger Feasibility Study for Miputak Central School

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Merger Feasibility Study for Miputak Central School

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Merger Feasibility Study for Miputak Central School

FEASIBILITY STUDY PROCESS

When

the

Division

Merger

Team

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agreed

to

undertake

this

Merger Feasibility Study for Miputak Central School

feasibility study, we understood the importance of establishing

objective criteria for our decisionmaking. We understood and
appreciated the interest of the school head and her teaching force
during the interview in considering the benefits of merger. In any
scenario, Miputak West Elementary School would be the school to
merge with Miputak East Central School, the former being a smaller
school. Our task was to make a recommendation as to the other. In
doing so, we understood that our decision would please both school.
Thus, we recognized the importance of establishing fundamentally
sound decision-making criteria at the outset. This is of course
solely based on DO. 40, s.2014.
Although this is a merger feasibility study, rather than a formal
merger study, it addresses the same range of independent school
functioning, but not to the same depth. Accordingly, it addresses
the background of the two schools, enrollment history and
projection, instructional programs, extracurricular activities,
athletics, staffing, transportation, and finance. Consistent with
the stated purpose of the study, the priority for developing our
recommendation would be to give instructional program and financial
implications the greatest weight, assuming no significant difference
in the other areas. The recommendation then pivots primarily on the
comparison of the instructional program and financial implications
between the two schools. The comparative financial implications, as
expected, were relatively equivalent. Hence, potential merging is
practical and timely.

RECOMMENDATION
The Division Merger Team, after careful consideration of all
requirements stipulated in DO 40, s. 2014, highly recommended that
the merging of Miputak East Central School and Miputak West
Elementary School is economically sound and beneficial to both
teachers and pupils and that no individual would be displaced or
disadvantaged or compromised as a result of the merger.

Reference:
DO 40, s. 2014
http://www.interaksyon.com/business/106774/underspending-keeps-philippines2014-budget-deficit-below-ceiling
http://wikimapia.org/#lang=en&lat=8.583965&lon=123.338211&z=17&m=b&s
how=/18544392/Miputak-East-Central-School
http://www.minda.gov.ph/index.php/products-and-services/statistical-

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reference/vital-and-health-statistics
Additional Photo Image: The Scenic Dipolog City Boulevard, courtesy of
www.flickr.com.

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