GMA LAUNCHES COMPUTER LITERACY PROGRAM
LAPU-LAPU CITY, CEBU, April 30, 2005 (STAR) Teachers and students here are now "wired" after President Arroyo activated a facility for computer literacy and Internet access in their school.Mrs. Arroyo launched the P85-million computer literacy program for public school teachers and students here in line with her 10-point agenda to elevate the quality of teaching in public schools nationwide to bring them to the level of private schools.
"Wired" at 12:45 p.m. yesterday was the Lapu-Lapu City Computer Literacy and Internet Access for Teachers and Students at the Marigondon National High School in Barangay Marigondon.
Mrs. Arroyo started the program inside the school’s computer laboratory where she browsed the Net and chatted online with the Science and Technology Education Center and the matching computer room of the Bankal National High School in Barangay Bankal.
She was assisted by student Jamaica Biongcog and the new graduates of the Marigondon National High School.
The city government initiated the P85-million project in partnership with the Ayala Foundation, Inc. and Globe Innove.
The Foundation will provide literacy training and guidance in the formulation of basic curricula to optimize the use of the facility, while Globe Innove has provided the telephone lines and free internet usage for a year.
To date, some 470 computer units, computer tables and chairs, generator sets and air conditioning units have been provided to secondary schools here.
The other beneficiaries in several barangays of Lapu-Lapu City are the Caubian High School, Pangan-an High School, Sta. Rosa National High School, and Tingo National High School.
Among those who welcomed and thanked Mrs. Arroyo for her visit were local government and school officials led by Cebu Gov. Gwendolin Garcia, Rep. Nerissa Soon-Ruiz, Mayor Arturo Radaza, schools division superintendent Serena Uy, and students.
Meanwhile, Mrs. Arroyo turned over yesterday three Land Bank of the Philippines checks totaling P39 million to two small- and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs) and to Lapu-Lapu City to fund livelihood projects that will generate thousands of jobs for Cebuanos.
Mrs. Arroyo turned over a P2-million Land Bank check to Detasie Footwear Factory in Carcar, Cebu to augment its working capacity.
The factory employs six regular and 55 contractual workers and has more than 200 on-call piece workers.
A P10-million check was also handed to the Dumanjug Multi-Purpose Cooperative for its micro-finance operations.
The amount will be used as working capital for the cooperative’s trading and re-lending activities for agriculture and non-agriculture products, crop and livestock production of its members.
The project is expected to generate more than 7,000 jobs.
The third check, in the amount of P27 million, was given to Lapu-Lapu City, representing the first portion of the P385-million funding for the sports and commercial complex and for the city’s SMEs.
The Arroyo administration has supported SMEs, saying they would create 10 million jobs before 2010 as part of her 10-point agenda.
Mrs. Arroyo arrived at the Mactan-Benito Ebuen Air Base at 11:40 a.m. yesterday.
She immediately met with officials of the electric power sector, Cebu Chamber Power Committee and the Cebu Electric Power Sector at the VIP Lounge.
She then proceeded to the Marigondon National High School here for the launching of the "Gearing-up Internet Literacy and Access for Students (GILAS)" project. –Aurea Calica
Reported by: Sol Jose Vanzi
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