Projects for coastal resource, teachers get RAFI support

CEBU, Philippines - The Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. approved two project proposals seen to benefit public school teachers and the students in Cebu City.

Tambuyog Development Center, the proponent of the “Malhiao Badian Coastal Education Center,” signed a Memorandum of Agreement with RAFI yesterday.

With the help of the RAFI Development Fund, the project will receive financial assistance of P2,648,000 within two years. However, because the project costs P4,446,250, the additional funding amounting to P1,798,250 will be provided by other partners of the center.

Executive Director Arsenio Tanchuling said the Tambuyog Development Center itself was founded to abate the decline of fishery resources and poverty in coastal communities through interdisciplinary research, creative information and education campaign, community organizing, policy advocacy and constituency building.

The Tambuyog Development Center will develop and integrate experiential-based eco-education modules in different elementary subjects in five selected public schools in Badian, Cebu.

They will also strengthen the advocacy mechanism of the Malhiao Resource Management Multi-purpose Cooperative in conserving their coastal area; rehabilitate the coastal and mangrove areas of Malhiao, Badian, Cebu; and develop human resources through skills training and capacity building.

The center is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year with the theme “25 Taon ng Pagtaog at Paghibas.”

The second project RAFI is supporting is the “Blended Mentorship for Grade 3 and 4 Public School Teachers,” which is being implemented by the faculty of education of the University of the Philippines Open University (UPOU).

The project’s goal is to improve the selected public schools in Cebu by developing a research culture among teachers through blended mentorship.

RAFI will provide P881,990 for the project while the proponents and other partners will provide the counterpart fund of P631,200. The project has a total cost of P1,513,190.

The MOA for the project will be signed on November 30. — Karen P. Ceniza and July Ann Carmel G. Antoni /JMO (THE FREEMAN)