‘Project Hope’ launched in Tarlac

Businessman Eduardo Cojuangco Jr. launched his own initiative to improve education in his home province of Tarlac.

The Eduardo Cojuangco Foundation (ECF) launched Project Hope, which would provide technical and vocational skills training and job opportunities for 1,000 out-of-school youths.

ECF, which celebrates its 30th year, has partnered with the Department of Education (DepEd), the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, the Department of Labor and Employment, La Salle Greenhills and the provincial government of Tarlac.

Project Hope is ECF’s follow-up program to its P42-million Project Free initiative, which granted graduate and doctoral degree scholarships to 2,000 public school teachers in 2010.

ECF, in a statement, said it has allocated P10 million for Project Hope’s first seven-month cycle. It seeks to aid up to 5,000 out-of-school youths and young adults at the program’s conclusion.

DepEd will conduct a province-wide mapping exercise in Tarlac’s 511 villages from April 21 to May 29 to identify qualified beneficiaries of Project Hope.

ECF said in 2014, there are at least 15,330 out-of-school youths and adults in Tarlac province with ages ranging from 18 to 30 years old.