Monday, May 19, 2008 PJ turns over computers with web connection to 8 schools
PARTNERSHIP between government and private companies has made eight schools in Barili really happy.
After all, education is not a responsibility for the teachers alone, said Barili Mayor Teresito Marinas.
“Promoting good education is not the sole responsibility of the school. That is a huge responsibility to be left to the teachers. There should be coordination,” Marinas said “It is also a role of the private sector in providing quality education for the children,” he also said.
Education is one of the top priorities of Rep. Pablo John Garcia (Cebu, 3rd district). It is also a priority for CitiGroup and Ayala Foundation Inc., through its Gilas program. Gilas stands for Gearing up Internet Literary and Access for Students.
Garcia lamented the “technological divide” between urban students and those in the countryside.
He admitted to being awed by the potential and power of the Internet but said that it can only be gained by those who have access to it.
“Those who don’t have access to the Internet will be left behind,” he said.
“We have to equip public high schools with technology they should have had yesterday,” he said.
Garcia led the turnover of computers with Internet connection to eight Barili high schools last Friday in the bid of making true his slogan, “the third (district) shall be the first.”
The computers were provided by the Provincial Government, with the connection provided by Gilas and the sponsorship of CitiGroup.
The beneficiaries were Bartolome and Manula Panares Memorial National High School and the National High Schools of Luhod, Balao, Patupat, Bolocboloc, Cagay,
Guiboangan and Malolos.
Giloctog has the computers but providing it with Internet connection has proven to be difficult.
Dino Rey Abellanosa of Gilas, though, assured that they will find a way for students of Giloctog to enjoy Internet connection.
Gilas has already connected 90 high schools in the province to the Internet.
Cebu has a total of 207 public high schools.
Abellanosa said the biggest challenge is to achieve 100 percent connectivity.
High schools are growing each year, but Gilas’ target is also moving, he said.
All in all, Gilas has connected a total of 1,806 schools in the entire country.
Milagros Juayian, principal of Bartolome and Manuela Pañares National High School, said the Internet connection was a “realization of a dream.” (JGA)
