ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines - "Educating a nation cannot be accomplished by single individual or institution. Education is a shared responsibility," Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Jesli Lapuz, said.
Lapuz admitted that limited resources especially budget availability has hampered the DepEd's effort to ensure the delivery of quality education.
With this burden, the government gladly welcomes non-government organizations and individuals supportive of uplifting the education and literacy rate in the country.
Lady Mayor Leonida A. Angcap of Midsalip for instance; beams with joy for the support it gets from Kapit-bisig Laban sa Kahirapan-Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (KALAHI-CIDSS) - a flagship project of the national government funded by World Bank and is implemented by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
Of the 7 CIDSS-recipient municipalities in ZDS, Midsalip, Matalang and Dumalinao has its farm to market road and level 2 water system contributory to improved livelihood opportunities, better school attendance of children and access to potable water.
Midsalip has 8-kilometer concrete road benefiting 7 barangays with 70% Subanen population. Manang Violeta, a resident joyfully said, 'karon nga miabot na namo ang kalsada, makakaon na mi lab-as nga isda" (with good road, we can now eat fresh fish". With good road, we can now easily transport patients to Pagadian and other cities, she added.
In Ticala, 93 pupils are now housed in a P1.3 million worth school building. 70% of which is a KALAHI grant while 30% of it is the LGU counterpart. "So far, this is the first big barangay project that we have, revealed Barangay Captain Yasser Samal.
Municipal Engineer Mossidic Calalagan, describes Ticala as a 90-hectare coco trees dominated island with 90 households who are peace-loving people mostly engaged in fishing.
Raised from Ticala and had his elementary education there, Calalagan said, children today are lucky to have a school in the island. He added that during his time, he used to paddle to and fro the mainland San Pablo daily for an hour through pump boat to finish elementary education.
Correspondingly, Zamboanga City District 1 Representative Beng Climaco, values education for youth. As a legislator, she advocates in the promotion of children's rights and welfare.
Recently, she forged partnership with the National Youth Commission (NYC), to conduct value education for the youth. Her kind of education involves the orientation of leaders like SK chair and members on their roles and functions of Sangguniang Kabataan officals that should be practiced based on virtues of goodness, honesty and good governance.
To continuously enjoy the momentum of more development opportunities coming in, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo at the caucus in Malacanang for key leaders of the administration coalition over the weekend squelched 'all humors and speculation that this country is divided.
The President revealed that she and the coalition leadership had 'agreed on a process of national consolidation, gathering all our allies around the common vision' towards national consolidation 'based on a coalition of principle and action.'
Good road, fresh fish as viand, potable water to drink, children's rights and welfare are indeed contributory factors among many, that paves the way for better opportunities in far-flung areas. And these are made possible through a focused vision, direction and GO-NGO partnerships, national consolidation and coalition of principle and action opens more opportunities specially to far-flung areas. (Mimi Edaga)
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