DepEd exec calls for support for Adopt-A-School program

Education Secretary Jesli Lapus has called on the business community and the private sector to help the department's Adopt-A-School program and raise funds for the rebuilding of school buildings that were damaged by typhoons last year.

"Investing in education has the highest return of all investments. I am urging all of you to continue helping our children for a better tomorrow," said Secretay Lapus, in his keynote speech during the 19th membership meeting of the Philippine Business for Social Progress at Casino Español de Cebu yesterday.

From the time DepEd launched its Adopt-A-School program in 2000, it received a total of P2.4-billion worth of contributions from various sectors.

"We hope the figure will continue to increase. DepEd is burdened of rebuilding school buildings especially in areas devastated with super-typhoons last year," Lapus said.

Lapus said 5000 schools in four provinces were devastated by typhoons Milenyo, Paeng, Reming and Senyang.

About P3 billion is needed to reconstruct these schools, a fund that is even bigger than DepEd's annual budget for construction of new schools nationwide, he said.

The secretary said that in Albay province alone, about P688 million is needed to rebuild the damaged schools there and the DepEd had so far released only P200 million.

"I therefore call on you to raise more funds so that together we can rebuild our schools. Please let us join in our basic education bandwagon for quality education. Let us invest our future today," Lapus told the PBSP annual gathering.

PBSP is the largest corporate-led, non-profit social development foundation in the Philippines that boasts of over 200 companies as members nationwide, such as the Philippine Long Distance Company and the Aboitiz Group of Companies, among others.

PBSP chairman John Domingo stressed the importance of education, saying that a skilled and competent workforce is the one that builds the country's productivity, competitiveness, and development.

PBSP is presently campaigning for the Adopt-A-School program in Olango Island, along with its commitment to help improve the lives of at least 2,300 families in seven barangays in that island, namely, Gilutungan, Baring, Pangan-an, Sabang, Sta. Rosa, San Vicente and Talima.

Adopting a school in Olango is one way of helping every child in that area gain basic education and in turn help take the country out of poverty into peace and prosperity, said the PBSP.

In Olango, the participation rate or the number of school-age children who enters grade one is high but the survival rate through Grade Six could go as low as 25 percent. - Mitchelle L. Palaubsanon