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Saturday, June 04, 2005
NGO pledges P4M assistance for schools, students in Camotes
The state of education at the four-town Camotes group of islands is expected to get better, with the P46-million assistance from a nongovernment organization (NGO).
The Foster Parents Plan International, Inc. extended the aid to help students and teachers in the island municipalities of Poro, Pilar, San Francisco and Tudela.
Plan Philippines has adopted all 74 schools in both elementary and secondary education with 20,342 students all over the island.
The assistance is coursed through the Department of Education’s (DepEd) Adopt-a-School Program.
Education Secretary Florencio Abad yesterday signed the memorandum of agreement (MOA) formally sealing the partnership between DepEd and Plan International.
This is the first time that an NGO adopted an entire island for assistance, Abad revealed.
Plan International will aid the four towns for five years.
“This is unprecedented for the Department of Education that an NGO adopted an entire island. This is a great way to promote community involvement and strengthen the local governance in the island,” Abad said.
Carlon Dawang, program unit manager of Plan Philippines-Camotes Program Unit, said they already met with school officials in the islands to address their concerns.
The lack of teaching and learning materials is a common problem school authorities raised, he said.
He disclosed that this is not the first time for Plan Philippines to assist the Camotes group of islands. They have been helping schools in the area since 1988.
Dawang said their first official task is to provide schools with needed supplementary reading materials.
The improvement of schools is already being planned, which include additional infrastructure the DepEd specified and designed.
Seminars will also be conducted to make teaching personnel more capable.
Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia, who witnessed the MOA signing, expressed appreciation for the support that Plan Philippines has given the island towns.
Calling Camotes a “magical healing island,” the governor said Plan Philippines provides a secure future for the children.
“Plan International has given them a reason to hope,” Garcia said.
Newly elected Rep. Ramon “Red” Durano VI, whose turf includes the Camotes islands, also witnessed the signing.
Durano, in his first function as elected official, expressed his appreciation to Plan Philippines. (LLV)
(June 4, 2005 issue)
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