CITY OF SAN FERNANDO The Department of Education (DepEd) Schools Division of San Fernando together with education stakeholders on Friday, September 30, relaunched "Project NEST" (Nurturing Environment and System for Thriving) at the San Fernando elementary School.

The relaunch of the education community pantry established in 45 public schools in the city was marked by the signing of agreement by DepEd San Fernando and stakeholders wherein online groups were formed with parents, teachers, barangay officials and other members in the academic community.

Through the online groups, students and their parents can simply post educational needs like tangibles (school supplies and books) as well as intangible services (tutoring, counseling, parenting tips, among others) and then fellow members can respond. All 45 schools in the city have and in the first year of Project NEST, more than 8000 requests were addressed.

Inspired by the food-based community pantries put up in several parts of the country at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, stakeholders from the public and private sectors in this city came up with education pantries to supplement the learning needs of students.

David Zab Jimenez, an education consultant of the City Government of San Fernando who established the project, said the needs of children and parents in the education aspect have no end.

"Their access here at Project NEST must be continuous. Thus, the implementation of our program can be done the whole school year,” he said.