The Juanito I. King Foundation Inc. (JIKFI), together with Nito’s International Ventures Inc., has launched a Bridging Digital Divides Project (BDD) in support of the Adopt-A-School program of the Department of Education last July 19.
The launching highlighted the turnover of a newly-refurbished computer laboratory equipped with an airconditioning unit and 10 computer sets to each of JIKFI’s adopted schools in barangays Tabunan and Buot in Cebu City.
JIKFI provided some modifications in the existing computer laboratory of each school before the new computers were transferred. Each laboratory was also installed with a 32-inch LED TV to assist the teachers in classroom instruction.
The launching was attended by representatives from JIKFI’s partners — the Center for Industrial Technology and Enterprise (CITE) and the Cebu City government, Nito’s general manager David Ian King, JIKFI executive director Kenneth King, JIKFI Board of Trustees John Philip King and Kristine Gaisano, Vice Mayor Edgar Labella, Dr. Rhea Mar Angtud of DepEd, Joey Baclayon from the Cebu City Agriculture department and Marlon Valencia of CITE.
The BDD is a two-year project that focuses on the computerization of public schools in the mountain barangays of Cebu City and Mandaue City. It aims to create Information Technology (IT) awareness among the school children and conduct basic computer training for teachers from the beneficiary schools. The training will be facilitated by CITE two months before the opening of the laboratories.
School administrators Ricardo Aman of Dr. Emilio Osmeña Integrated School in Buot and Nathaniel Flores, former principal of Tabunan Integrated School expressed gratitude to JIKFI for choosing their respective schools.