“On-line Internet Chatting of Gov Uy highlights Gearing Up Internet Literacy and Access for Students”

MindaNews

March 15, 2011
7:23 am

Nabunturan, Compostela Valley – Governor Arturo “Chiongkee” Uy was joined by the municipal mayors and DepEd Officials led by Regional Director Dr. Susanna Estigoy and GILAS Project Team during the turnover event held at the social hall of the provincial government last March 16, 2011.

A multi-sector, multi-stakeholder partnership, GILAS is a nationwide development project that aims to connect all 7, 300 public high schools of the country to the internet. Through the commitment of the provincial government of Compostela Valley, and GILAS donors which includes Ayala Land and foreign-based CLSA, Goldman Sachs, a funding grant of 4.9 million pesos was appropriated for the internet connection of public high schools in the province.

GILAS partnership was officially recognized through a MoA signed last February 2010 with a cost-sharing partnership between LGU and GILAS, a combined funding amounting to 4.9 Million pesos. The LGU committed to provide a counterpart of 2.5 Million aimed at providing 15 start-up computer units to 10 schools and VSAT internet facility for 44 high schools. GILAS Donors, Ayala Land, CLSA and Goldman Sachs on the other hand, carried on the remaining 2.4 Million, intended for the provision of computer-servers, and LAN accessories, to high schools, thereby fully connecting to the internet all the 49 connectible public high schools.

In partnership with GILAS, 37 secondary schools are already connected to the internet and will finish connecting the rest of the connectible 17 public high schools before the start of the next school year. This is significant to our municipalities and those living in remote barangays where a secondary school is located — because an Internet is now available in their school, in their community, this is something they should be proud of, according to GILAS Senior Manager Archie Velasco.[]

Our Honorable Gov Chiongkee Uy has shown that he is serious in his work of giving better high school education to those who have the least, to those who are in the far flung barangays, in opening up more opportunities for progress and in giving a legacy of excellence among our public high school educators and students.

Gov UY thanked GILAS for its initiative in addressing the needs of public high schools. In an interview, he expressed his full support and appreciation to its project implementation in the province. I am very grateful to GILAS for undertaking this project, because we cannot afford to go into all of these in bringing up to a higher level the education of our people.

Also present to share the appreciation of DepEd were Region 11 Regional Director Susana ESTIGOY and SDS Alfonso Gomez.[]

Internet equalizes the learning field, we are happy and thankful that we have stakeholders concerned in the education of our young, states DepEd Regional Director Dr. Susana Estigoy.

Dr. Gomez also affirmed that, with their appreciation comes too, their commitment to ensure that the project will be utilized for the improvement of their student’s achievement and performance, and that the legacy and availability of these facilities will be sustained.

GILAS will now be a way of life in the connected high schools as in Nabunturan NHS which was the first school connected by GILAS project, says Dr.[]

Gomez.

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