The United States government has donated various distance learning equipment worth over P2.2 million to a learning center in Cagayan de Oro.
The US Embassy in the Philippines said the learning equipment such as 50 desktop computers, webcams, headphones, wireless routers, and other materials for distance learning was handed over to Cagayan de Oro City’s Alternative Learning System (ALS) e-Skwela Center on Wednesday, Dec. 15.
The donation was made through the US Agency for International Development (USAID). The Cagayan de Oro e-Skwela Center is one of five being supported by USAID. The other centers are located in Legazpi City, General Santos City, Angeles City, and Davao City.
It was disclosed that the total package of USAID support for the centers amounts to P12 million ($240,000).
USAID has been supporting DepEd ALS’ continuity and COVID-19 response plan through its Opportunity 2.0 program which helps restore access to education for vulnerable out-of-school youth.
“The U.S. government, through USAID, has supported DepEd in reinvigorating education programs,” USAID Philippines Acting Mission Director Sean Callahan said, in a statement released by the US Embassy.
“We are working hard so that vulnerable, out-of-school youth, who have stopped school due to the pandemic, are given the opportunity and tools to adapt, grow, and have a better tomorrow,” Callahan added.
Department of Education (DepEd) ALS Assistant Secretary G.H. Ambat, on the other hand, said that “the COVID-19 pandemic worsened the out-of-school youth’s lack of access to education. This magnified their vulnerability, leaving them less able to pursue education and progress toward better economic opportunities for themselves and their families.”
Last year, USAID supported DepEd in developing self-paced ALS modules and trained ALS teachers to deliver this new content using new modalities to overcome pandemic-related challenges.
To date, more than 16,000 out-of-school youth have benefitted from these new modules while over 2,500 ALS teachers and implementers have so far been trained on flexible delivery modalities nationwide.