They simply talk about it when they are invited. When they are asked questions, they answer.
This interview with Filipino theoretical physicists Dr. Christopher C. Bernido and the late Dr. Maria Victoria Carpio-Bernido, proponents of the CVIF-Dynamic Learning Program, is a gold mine of insights, not only about education but also about many things we thought we already understood yet truly do not.
“For me, you want your students to do well, more students to do well, check the numbers. If the program you are implementing now is not giving you good numbers, then it is the duty of the administrator, the duty of a principal to be on the lookout for possible programs that could give better numbers. So, in a sense, we say, the DLP is giving us good numbers, it is giving good numbers in many other schools by now, why don’t you give it a try,” said Dr. Maria Victoria Carpio-Bernido.
The couple shared how they continuously monitored and evaluated the effectiveness of the program using multiple performance indicators. From the start, they applied a scientific approach, tracking student performance daily and through in-house evaluations.
When the National Career Assessment Examination (NCAE) was introduced in 2006, results showed a significant improvement, more students were scoring in the higher percentiles. Another key measure was the University of the Philippines College Admission Test. While no students passed under traditional teaching, after implementing CVIF-DLP, results steadily improved until around 10% of graduates were passing, comparable to schools in major cities.
They also benchmarked internationally, sending a student to take the Scholastic Aptitude Test, conducted normally in the US, where she performed well in mathematics, meeting standards of good universities like the University of California (UC) system.
Individual success stories, such as a student admitted to UC Berkeley’s Computer Science program, reinforced the program’s impact. The Bernidos also stayed in touch with alumni to track how their graduates perform in college, using feedback to further refine the program, especially to support students in the lower performance brackets.
“If I remember correctly, 45% of our seniors belong to the top 10% in the whole country. And if you look at the mathematics component of the NCAE, 51%, or more than half, of our seniors belong to the top 10% in the whole country in mathematics. And again, if I remember correctly, around 17 students in mathematics belong to the top 1% in the whole country,” said Dr. Christopher C. Bernido as Dr. Maria Victoria Carpio-Bernido explained it meant they had 99 plus or 99 percentile rank in mathematics.
She further added,” I mean as a principal, of course, that makes me very happy because you started with only one 94 in 2001 and then the rest maybe two students in the 80 plus percentile rank then a few in seven and then everyone below. So now it’s raining 90s and up so it’s a very good indicator. So for us numbers are very important. People might debate endlessly on who favors or who’s not in favor of a program but in the end it should be the numbers, that’s the bottom line.”
Dr. Christopher C. Bernido explained that “In the DLP, it’s built in that because again there’s no prior lecture, they see something strange, they say they see something new, and automatically their brains are now trained to figure it out. So even if some topics have never been discussed in our, say physics class, and if a question on that topic has never been discussed, appears in the exam, somehow, they’re able to get it, they figure it out by themselves because that’s how they’re programmed. They’re trained. The habit is there.”
How It Works
The first two components of the CVIF-Dynamic Learning Program are parallel learning classes and activity-based learning. These enable multiple classes to run simultaneously under the supervision of a single subject expert teacher, assisted by teacher facilitators.
For about 75% of the time, teachers do not lecture, and students are not allowed to ask questions. Instead, they work independently using learning activity sheets prepared by subject experts. Each LAS breaks down complex topics into ten manageable tasks, guiding learners step by step. Students copy the exercises onto blank sheets of paper and complete them without prior lectures, allowing them to develop critical thinking, self-discipline, and mastery through independent work.
During the remaining 25% of the time, the subject expert teacher interacts directly with students, moving from one class to another, to provide clarification, feedback, and reinforcement of concepts.
The other two components of the CVIF-Dynamic Learning Program are the Student Comprehensive Portfolio and Strategic Study and Rest. All learning activity sheets and other outputs are compiled in a set of portfolios, much like how scientists document their research. These portfolios enable teachers to monitor students’ progress, identify areas of difficulty, and track learning pace. They also give students tangible ownership of their learning journey and ensure continuity even after extended class disruptions, as a complete record of performance is preserved.
Unlike conventional programs that pressure students to constantly catch up, the CVIF-DLP integrates strategic rest and self-study periods throughout the school year. There is no homework, allowing learners to enjoy well-deserved breaks within a well-structured academic schedule that balances study and rest.
No Learner Left Behind
As typhoons, earthquakes, and disease outbreaks continue to affect learners and school communities, classes across the country are once again facing disruptions.
Desi Dario R. Magnaye, Campus Director of Davao Christian High School – V. Mapa Campus, recounted the moments during the 7.6-magnitude earthquake that recently struck Davao.
“We were in school when the earthquake happened. Some of our students were having their morning recess. Thankfully, since we had conducted an earthquake drill at the start of the school year, everyone knew what to do and where to go,” he said.
Magnaye, one of the CVIF-Dynamic Learning Program Ambassadors trained by the Bernidos in partnership with PLDT and SMART, shared how his school integrates the program into its system, particularly during calamities.
“When there are class disruptions, we shift to online distance learning. Since the pandemic, we’ve been using Google Classroom as our learning management system. This is where we upload CVIF-DLP learning activity sheets that students can accomplish independently at home. They also submit their outputs online, allowing us to verify that they completed the work themselves,” he explained.
Stakeholder Engagement Head and Assistant Vice President of PLDT and Smart Stephanie V. Orlino shared that “For more than a decade, we have been championing the CVIF-Dynamic Learning Program because it offers a forward-thinking solution to a perennial challenge: ensuring education remains constant even when classes are disrupted by calamities like typhoons or earthquakes.”
As its contribution to the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and the Philippine Development Plan, PLDT and Smart implement shared value programs on basic education, tertiary education, and lifelong learning under education, and on disaster preparedness, response, and recovery under disaster resilience, among others.
“CVIF-Dynamic Learning Program is easily adaptable by schools whether they’re located in the city, in rural areas, and even in hard-to-reach communities. Together with partners and advocates like the Department of Education, we can scale the program further and build true educational resilience for the nation,” added Orlino.
Human-Centered Learning
With all these, the Bernidos emphasized that skills and intelligence are meaningless without character, and without respect for others and for one’s country.
In 2010, Dr. Christopher C. Bernido and Dr. Maria Victoria Carpio-Bernido received the Ramon Magsaysay Award, Asia’s premier prize and highest honor, “for their purposeful commitment to both science and nation, ensuring innovative, low-cost, and effective basic education even under Philippine conditions of great scarcity and daunting poverty.”