SIX municipalities in Iloilo province were conferred the Seal of Good Education Governance by the Synergeia Foundation recently.
The local government units (LGUs) of Alimodian, Cabatuan, Concepcion, Lambunao, Miagao and Mina got the seal for their outstanding efforts in delivering basic education to their constituents.
They were among the 24 cities and municipalities that were awarded the seal from 250 nominations received through the foundation’s website.
Recipients of the Synergeia Foundation’s Seal of Good Education Governance will get incentive packages from PLDT and Smart Communications worth up to P1.5 million each.
Established in 2002, Synergeia is a coalition of individuals and organizations working closely with about 400 LGUs to improve the delivery of basic education to Filipino children.
Governor Arthur Defensor Sr. and Provincial Administrator Raul Banias are active partners and supporters of the organization.
Iloilo province has been a recipient of Synergeia’s various programs and projects.
To boost the capability of seal recipients to improve education in their localities, PLDT and Smart will provide technology packages suited to the LGUs’ respective circumstances and needs.
Among the incentives are the installation and maintenance of Wi-Fi hotspots in public areas, and the provision of InfoCast, a web-based solution that will allow the LGUs to broadcast announcements and receive feedback via text message.
LGUs in remote areas will get a satellite-based communication solution that provides voice and SMS services.
Another incentive for LGUs in far-flung areas is the Smart School-in-a-Bag, which contains a solar panel to serve schools without electricity, mobile devices, curriculum-based educational content, teacher training, monitoring, and evaluation.
Also included in the incentive package are personal development trainings for LGUs.
Synergeia’s educational programs are also supported by the United States Agency for International Development (USAid) under its five-year, P430-million Education Governance Effectiveness (EdGE) project that supports the Philippines’ goal of improving learning outcomes in the early grades.
The Seal of Good Education Governance was given to recipient LGUs during the 11th National Education Summit held in Manila on September 28 and 29, where Vice President Leni Robredo delivered the keynote address. (Capitol News)