ILOILO CITY – The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has launched a new program for out-of-school youths here.
More than 60 local leaders and community organizers launched the USAID Opportunity 2.0: Second-Chance Opportunities for Out-of-School Youth program.
“In order to accelerate and sustain inclusive growth in Iloilo City, we need to maximize (the out-of-school youth). They only need a second chance,” said USAID Office of Education chief Thomas LeBlanc.
Iloilo City is one of the 15 program sites for USAID Opportunity 2.0, a five-year program with a funding of $35.7 million (P1.9 billion) to improve education, employability, and livelihood for 180,000 Filipino out-of-school youth.
LeBlanc lauded the administration of Mayor Jerry Treñas for creating the Iloilo City Youth Development Alliance (ICYDA) which will work with the US-based non-profit Education Development Center (EDC) in implementing USAID Opportunity 2.0.
“We are excited for Iloilo City to adopt the Youth Development Alliance model, learn from it, elevate it, and take it to new and even greater heights,” added LeBlanc.
Iloilo City Councilor Sedfrey Cabaluna, who represented Treñas, shared his own journey as a youth, starting from hurdling law school, the Bar exams, as well as becoming a TV news host and elected as a city councilor.
The EDC, led by its chief of party Dr. Dave Hall, is also working together with the Department of Education (DepEd) and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) to implement USAID Opportunity 2.0 here.
Also present during the Iloilo City launching were DepEd-Iloilo City Assistant Schools Division Superintendent Dr. Novelyn Vilchez, Porferio Celestial of TESDA-6, Engr. Fulbert Woo of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI-Iloilo), and Matty Treñas, the administrator of the Technical Institute of Iloilo City (TIIC).
The USAID Opportunity 2.0 is also being implemented by EDC with partners, including Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization-Regional Center for Educational Innovation and Technology (SEAMEO-INNOTECH), the Voluntary Services Overseas (VSO), the Philippine Business for Education (PBEd), the Catholic Relief Services (CRS), and Accenture.