Teachers and coordinators who are at the forefront of providing education to out-of-school youth in the Philippines got a big boost after the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) turned over more than P16 million ($333,000) worth of laptops to enable them to continue serving the community even during the COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic.
USAID Philippines Office of Education Director Dr. Thomas LeBlanc handed over the 371 laptops to DepEd Assistant Secretary for Alternative Learning System (ALS) G.H. Ambat at a ceremony held at the DepEd Central Office on February 19, 2021.
This assistance is part of the US’ ongoing commitment to support the Philippine government’s Basic Education Learning Continuity Plan during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The laptops will support ALS teachers and coordinators in the field. Under the program, the ALS teachers and administrators will use the equipment to continue working with students, updating lesson content, innovating teaching methods, and monitoring learners’ progress.
In October 2020, USAID handed over to DepEd laptops, printers, projectors, and learning materials. Aside from that, the US agency also provided DepEd “e-Skwela Centers” with equipment to expand the education department’s outreach to vulnerable out-of-school youth who want to enroll in the ALS.
According to USAID, the latest assistance is part of its Opportunity 2.0, a five-year, Php1.9-billion ($37.5 million) project that supports DepEd, the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), and local governments in their ongoing programs providing relevant education, employability skills, and work experience to out-of-school youth.
Over the course of the program, USAID’s assistance is targeting to benefit 180,000 youth in more than 12 cities across the Philippines.