STARBOOKS NEWS
Beyond limited signal, coastal students in Manito turn to STARBOOKS to break through 'digital isolation'
June 25, 2026
by Gerald Sopenia, DOST-Bicol
Thirty kilometers away from the bustling streets of Legazpi, the quiet roads of Manito, Albay lead to Barangay Cawayan. Here stands a community disconnected from the mainland's progress, separated from the city not only by rugged geography but by a digital and scientific divide.
In Barangay Cawayan, infrastructure is not the problem; connectivity is. While the paved roads make the physical journey possible, the digital highway ends long before you reach the campus. For the children here, cellular signal is a fleeting, precious commodity.
Silent horizons
When the school’s former officer-in-charge, Amada A. Rempillo, first stepped into leadership at Cawayan High School in 2017, the reality on the ground was rough.
"So, dati po ano, that was year 2017 when I started my leadership as a school head here in Cawayan High School. Ang school po namin ay mayroon lang isang reading center wherein ang mga books ay very limited... As to digital literacy naman, zero pa talaga ang mga bata noon kasi wala akong nakita noon na merong mga gadgets like cellphone or even laptop," she recalls.
(So before, that was the year 2017 when I started my leadership as a school head here in Cawayan High School. Our school only had one reading center where the books were very limited... As for digital literacy, the children were really at zero back then because I didn't see anyone who owned gadgets like a cellphone or even a laptop...)
The turning point didn't come from a grand initiative, but from a persistent aunt. During a family gathering, the school head discovered that her nephew worked with an offline digital library called STARBOOKS from the Department of Science and Technology (DOST).
"Sabi niya ‘tita, meron kaming bagong programa sa DOST, yung STARBOOKS.' So syempre, sabi ko ano naman ang STARBOOKS eh kailangan talaga ng school namin, akala ko nga mga books yun pala ay digital library so sobrang excited talaga ako. Kinulit at kinulit ko talaga siya..."
(He said, ‘Auntie, we have a new program, STARBOOKS.’ So of course, I said, ‘What is STARBOOKS? Our school really needs that.’ I actually thought they were physical books, but it turned out to be a digital library, so I was so excited. I pestered him over and over...)
Curious Tides
The day the digital kiosk was rolled out, a wave of curiosity hit the coastal community. Because the system functions offline, it bypassed Cawayan's greatest adversary: the lack of connectivity.
"Syempre, first curiosity muna ano, curious sila ano ba talaga ang STARBOOKS... tapos sobra talagang excitement na naramdaman nila kasi yung scheduling namin hindi naman pwede ma-accomodate lahat... yun sobrang excited sila pag oras na ng pagpasok nila sa computer room," the former school head shares.
(Of course, first came curiosity, they were curious about what STARBOOKS really was... and then they felt an overwhelming excitement because our scheduling couldn't accommodate everyone at once... they were so excited when it was time to enter the computer room)
The offline kiosks began shifting the academic landscape. Students who had never operated a computer before were suddenly navigating a vast scientific database.
"Honestly, masaya, sobrang masaya... kasi kahit papaano, in a small way, nakatulong tayo sa mga bata na ma-increase ang knowledge, information, and ability, but of course to browse information through a digital form," she explains.
(Honestly, I felt happy, so happy... because somehow, in a small way, we helped the children increase their knowledge, information, and ability to browse information through a digital form)
Driven by the students' hunger to learn, the community's dedication caught national attention and was awarded as the 3rd Best Performing STARBOOKS site. Thanks to the diligent reporting of their ICT Coordinator, this small, isolated campus earned a prestigious national recognition for maximum platform utilization.
Anchored Dreams
Today, the mission is spearheaded by the current school head, Joel Daen, who operates under a powerful local banner: #MaliitnaPaaralanMalakingPangarap (Small School, Big Dreams).
"Una po talaga, yun yung hashtag po namin is yung #MaliitnaPaaralanMalakingPangarap, isa po sa mga naging daan para yung ating mga kabataan ay mangarap ay itong programa... na ma-widen yung kanilang kaalaman and then yung magkaroon sila ng parang ma-motivate sila to dream bigger and higher," Principal Daen states.
(First of all, our hashtag is #SmallSchoolBigDreams. One of the avenues that allowed our youth to dream is this program... to widen their knowledge and motivate them to dream bigger and higher)
For Daen, the future of science education means dismantling the walls of the computer lab and bringing the digital library directly to where the students are.
"Future plans, yun na nga po, unang-una kung pwede madala sa classroom... kasi kung doon lang sila may access sa ating mga IT, ICT rooms, okay na yun pero much better na yung kanilang access ay [nandoon] mismo sa classroom para mas madali..."
(For future plans, first of all, if we could bring it into the classroom... because if they only have access in our IT and ICT rooms, that's okay, but it would be much better if their access is right inside the classroom so it's easier...)
Unplugged wonder
For the students who live in this coastal community, this offline library is a major equalizer. It gives them access to thousands of high-quality science, math, and research resources that are usually difficult to reach without a strong internet connection, all without costing a single peso for data load.
"Kapag kailangan ko po ng mga dagdag na kaalaman, naghahanap po ako sa internet kagaya po ng Google upang makasagot po ako sa aking mga assignments and school studies," shares Janine Macapili, a student at Cawayan High School.
(Whenever I needed extra knowledge, I used to look things up on the internet like Google just to answer my assignments and school studies)
The best part for Janine and her classmates is that not having money for internet load cannot stop them from learning anymore.
"Opo, malaking-malaki po talaga ang naibigay na tulong... marami po akong bagong natutunan... at ang pinakamaganda po dito ay pwede ko po siyang gamitin ng walang internet... Dahil po [dito] nadagdagan po ang interest ko sa science, naging mas maganda at mas masaya ang aking pag-aaral," she added.
(Yes, it has provided a massive amount of help... I’ve learned so much new information... and the best part about it is that I can use it completely without an internet connection. Because of this, my interest in science grew, and studying became much more beautiful and fun.)
When asked how this tool changed her life as a student, Janine’s perspective reveals a simple but powerful truth: "Binago... ang aking karanasan bilang isang mag-aaral, naging mas madali ang aking pag-access sa mga kaalaman, lumawak ang aking pag-unawa at mas naging inspirado akong matuto."
(It changed my entire experience as a student. It made accessing knowledge so much easier, broadened my understanding, and made me feel truly inspired to learn.)
Deep ripples
As this offline digital library celebrates its 15th anniversary, the teachers and leaders of Cawayan High School look back at how far their community has come. For them, this tool helped bridge the barrier of digital isolation
"Congratulations po DOST kasi umabot po kayo ng 15th anniversary ng STARBOOKS, so thank you also at our end for giving us this opportunity to be part of the STARBOOKS... sapagkat malaking tulong po talaga, it gives us a lifelong learning among the learners actually, ‘yan kasi ang isa sa pinaka-mission ng DepEd," says the former school head.
(Okay, so, well of course, congratulations DOST because you have reached the 15th anniversary of STARBOOKS. Thank you also from our end for giving us this opportunity to be part of STARBOOKS... because it really helps a lot, it gives lifelong learning to the learners, which is actually one of the main missions of DepEd.)
Principal Joel Daen agrees, looking forward to keeping this resource available for the community along the coast.
"Ang amin pong pagbati galing po sa Cawayan High School, sa inyong ika-15 anibersaryo... at nagpapasalamat din po kami kay Director Rommel R. Serrano sa kanyang walang sawang tulong na ibinibigay sa mga paaralang nasa malalayong lugar... sana po patuloy pa rin ang inyong suporta sa aming paaralan at para sa ating mga kabataan na mas lalo nilang matupad ang kanilang mga pangarap. Salamat po."
(Our greetings from Cawayan High School on your 15th anniversary... and we also thank Director Rommel R. Serrano for his endless help given to schools in far-flung areas... we hope your support continues for our school and for our youth so they can fulfill their dreams even more. Thank you.)
Thirty kilometers away from the city, the youth of Barangay Cawayan found a reliable bridge across the digital divide. Equipped with a library that requires no internet connection—only an eager mind—these young shore-side learners are proving that a small school by the sea can harbor some of the biggest dreams in the region.