THREE Cebu local government units (LGUs) will benefit from a program that aims to improve the quality of education in the province through participatory activities.
Asturias, Carcar City and Liloan are the recipients of Educational Quality Improvement through Community Empowerment and Capacity Building (EQUIP-CEBU) project.
The project was launched yesterday along with the signing of a memorandum of agreement (MOA).
As stated in the MOA, Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. (RAFI) will provide technical and financial assistance, while the LGUs will create and maintain a project management team. DepEd will ensure institutional support and project implementation in participating schools.
Present during the MOA signing were RAFI president Roberto Aboitiz, Department of Education (DepEd) Assistant Secretary Rey Laguda, Cebu Province Schools Division Superintendent Dr. Arden Monisit, Carcar City Schools Division Superintendent Dr. Cyrus Elejorde, Synergeia Foundation Inc. trustee Washington Sycip and Sarangani Gov. Miguel Rene Dominguez.
In his keynote speech, Dominguez shared their province’s strategies in alleviating the quality of education.
To maximize Sarangani’s meager funds, they mobilized stakeholders in assessing the state of education, organized volunteers to conduct reading mentor program for schoolchildren to prepare them for the coming school year, achieved 1:1 ratio of books per pupil through solicitations, and built dormitories within the school where students from far-flung barangays can stay.
“Investing on software” is what summarized the governor’s point, and by “software” he meant “people.”
Local officials who also attended the MOA signing include Provincial Board Member Willie Caminero, Asturias Mayor Allan Adlawan, Carcar Vice Mayor Patrick Barcenas representing Mayor Nicepuro Apura, Liloan Mayor Duke Frasco and Borbon Mayor Butch Sepulveda.
EQUIP-CEBU is a brainchild of RAFI with its major partners Synergeia Foundation Inc., Coalition for Better Education, LGUs and DepEd. /Correspondent Jessa Chrisna Marie J. Agua