Zamboanga Journal, E-World Career Center Scholars Begin Training

Journalists, who are scholars of the online newspaper Zamboanga Journal and E-World Career Center Corporation begin a week long training on web design and development in Zamboanga City on Monday, 29 May 2006. (Zamboanga Journal)

ZAMBOANGA CITY –- Five journalists who are scholars of the Zamboanga Journal and E-World Career Center Corporation began a week long training on web design and development in Zamboanga City.

The five jornalists were Roel Pareno, Therence Koh, Cheng Ordonez, Charlie Saceda and Pami Wee.

The online newspaper has entered into a memorandum of understanding with the E-World Career Center Corporation to provide scholarship grants to local journalists and out-of-school youths and poor high school students here.

At least 5 journalists from different newspapers and radio and television stations would be given short courses training every month from basic computer operation to the more advanced Macromedia Dreamweaver and other related education.

"It is a partnership between us, Zamboanga Journal, and the E-World Career Center Corporation to help not only local media members, but also those deserving students and out-of-school youths who wanted to pursue computer education.

“We are happy that E-World is helping us fulfill this small endeavor, and Zamboanga Journal will continue its scholarship program in other field of education, and to make this available to as many journalists and students as possible,” Al Jacinto, editor-in-chief of Zamboanga Journal.

Jacinto said the scholarship grants are also open to deserving high school students, who wanted to learn, but cannot afford to pay the cost of the training. "We will help not only deserving journalists, but students as well, especially those who are really interested to learn," he said.

E-World is one of Zamboanga City's leading global providers of computer education. At least 60 journalists are expected to benefit from the scholarship grants during the first year of the trainings.

"On our part, we are glad to help and that is why we really strive more to become an industry leader, not only in Zamboanga City, but to the other parts of Mindanao,” said Juvy de Jesus, E-World Cereer Center manager.

E-World offers a variety of short courses training designed to provide students with the knowledge and skills in Information Technology. Its courses are also intended for corporate clients who have specialized training needs, De Jesus said. "We can customize any specific requirements for our clients or companies," she added.

Zamboanga Journal came about at first, just as a public service weblog after a photo session in December 24, 2005 in Lumbangan, a small village east of Zamboanga City, where the government garbage depot is located.

From a public service weblog, it soon became the online newspaper now called the Zamboanga Journal, and supporters and journalists from different parts of the country have pledged to help it run and turn the Zamboanga Journal into a tool to help the less fortunate, particularly the children and old people in Zamboanga City.

Jacinto said there are plans to come out with a monthly magazine. “Zamboanga Journal Magazine is now on the drawing board,” he said.

The monthly magazine will carry Special and Feature stories, Home, Food and Lifestyle sections, Tourism and Travel pages, People, Fashion and the Arts, among others.