Chevron provides Internet access to public high schools in Southern Luzon

MANILA, Philippines - Chevron Corp., through its Philippine business units, has provided Internet access to 13 public high schools in Southern Luzon and the Bicol Region through the Gearing Up for Internet Access for Students (GILAS).

A partnership with the Ayala Foundation Inc. (AFI), the GILAS project has also conducted training workshops on information and communication technology (ICT) for high school heads and ICT coordinators of said public schools.  

The new online computer terminals will benefit 6,500 students in Laguna, Batangas, Albay and Camarines Sur while the ICT workshops have provided the sustainability and capacity building components of the project.

The My Library Program entails private sector participation in the assessment and rehabilitation of public libraries as a means to support the delivery of quality and relevant public education. Public libraries serve as extensions of the classroom and as channels for lifelong learning. Public libraries also double up as civic centers and plan community initiatives designed to meet local developmental goals.

The My Library Program helps enrich the learning experience of students and community residents in San Pascual, Batangas and Tiwi, Albay by enhancing library facilities, expanding the collection of reading materials and books, equipping library personnel, and implementing activities that promote reading and learning.

The partnerships were made possible through a $75,000 grant awarded by the Chevron Corp. to the Philippine Development Foundation USA, which promotes science, technology, business, education, and the GILAS Program.

GILAS is a multisectoral initiative that aims to provide computers with Internet access and basic Internet literacy programs in all 6,780 Philippine public secondary schools. It is led by a consortium of private corporations and civic organizations in collaboration with the Department of Education.

The Chevron companies and Ayala Foundation, Inc. have a standing history of partnerships in education and community development that have spanned the past decade.