|
DEPARTMENT
OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
P R E
S S R E L E A S E
www.dfa.gov.ph
2330 Roxas Blvd., Pasay City, Philippines
Tel. No. 834-4000 |
SFA-AGR-669-07
21
Aug 2007
DFA
FOREIGN SERVICE POSTS DONATE COMPUTERS FOR
LANAO
DEL
NORTE’S OUT-OF-SCHOOL-YOUTH
21 August 2007 – Father Benigno P. Beltran, SVD,
Executive Director of
Sandiwaan
Center
for Learning (SLC), in collaboration with the Philippine
Foreign Service Posts and the Office of the Undersecretary for International
Economic Relations of the Department of Foreign Affairs, has donated 200
computer units to the out-of-school youth in Lanao del Norte.
As early as
October 2006, Philippine foreign service posts in
Los Angeles
,
San Francisco
,
Chicago
,
New York
,
Toronto
, and
Vancouver
organized meetings with the Filipino community leaders to support the cause.
Filipino organizations in the
United States
and
Canada
are among the biggest contributors of new and pre-owned computers as well as
financial aid for the educational programs of out-of-school youth spearheaded by
Fr. Beltran.
Lanao del Norte is
striving to be the first rural province to implement the Cyber Education Project
of the Philippine Department of Education. It
has already put in place 10 computer centers with donated equipment, and over a
hundred instructors trained in using technology inside the classrooms.
Working with
organizations like the Philippine Science Centrum, Consuelo Foundation, Ayala
Foundation and the Philippine Foreign Service Posts of the DFA, the
province
of
Lanao del Norte
has pioneered the use of e-learning resources to help Muslims and Christians
gain knowledge and skills for the 21st century global economy.
Lanao del Norte continuous to seek assistance in
expanding initial efforts. For the
next two years, it plans to establish 20 new laboratories -- 10 in predominantly
Muslim areas, and 10 in mostly Christian areas.
It is possible to equip a 25-unit computer laboratory for US$10,000 which
comprises teacher training and technical support.
Total budget requirement would amount to US$200,000 for 20 computer
laboratories. Further donations are
being solicited to help many other out-of-school youth through innovative,
computer-based learning opportunities set in a non-formal, community-based
educational environment.
The
Sandiwaan
Center
for Learning is likewise an active partner in two APEC projects in the
Philippines
. A telecenter funded exclusively by
Chinese Taipei under the APEC Digital Opportunity Center has been established in
Smokey Mountain for out-of-school youth e-learning outreach and community
e-trading activities. In another
APEC project funded by Korea, the E-Learning Centers Project, the Sandiwaan
Center for Learning digitizes learning modules to be used in APEC e-learning
centers in Quezon City, San Francisco del Monte (Bulacan), Cebu City and Cagayan
de Oro. END
/Gary
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