Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Vow of commitment



ALABEL, Sarangani (April 11, 2008) - Youth volunteers recite their vow of commitment during the launching of the "Sarangani Big brother: Reading is fun!" mentoring program Thursday, April 10. (Photo by Cocoy Sexcion/SARANGANI INFORMATION OFFICE)

QUEST launching

MALUNGON, Sarangani (October 21, 2008) - Pupils of Malungon Central Elementary School attend the formal launching of the Quality Education for Sarangani Today (QUEST) Tuesday, October 21, at the municipal gym. QUEST is a program by the Synergeia Foundation in partnership with the local government and the community which aims to uplift the quality of basic education in grade school. (Photo by Cocoy Sexcion/SARANGANI INFORMATION OFFICE)

Tuesday, September 24, 2013

MOU on parent mentoring for schools signed in Sarangani

ALABEL, Sarangani (October 10, 2009) – A Memorandum Of Understanding (MOU) was signed Friday (October 9) by the Chiongbian Group of Companies represented by its executive vice president Roy Chiongbian, the provincial government, and the Department of Education (DepEd) for School Wide Parent Mentoring Session.

The activity, spearheaded by the Quality Education for Sarangani Today (QUEST) and the DepEd, is based on “the urgency of arresting the deterioration in the quality of basic education and encouraging the local community to become part of the improvement and reform of the basic educational system,” the MOU stated.

The project sees the need for more parents’ participation in improving the performance of their children in reading, a basic skill that will prepare them for lifelong learning.

Last Friday was also the provincial celebration of teachers’ day dubbed “A Teacher - A Hero in Everybody’s Heart” at the Capitol gym.

“This is our way of saying ‘thank you’ to you, teachers,” Governor Migs Dominguez told the participants. Sarangani has a total of 3,492 DepEd personnel and teachers.

“We recognize your hardships and we look for the most passionate ones to help us strengthen our people,” the governor said.

Guest speaker Engr. Efren Reyes stressed the role of teachers in the country.

“You are in the position to build up the next generation,” Reyes said.

Reyes denounced the negative connotations role of the Filipinos in the world.

Reyes said “there is no bad student in school. All it takes is a teacher to motivate the child to learn. Education is learning to love to learn.”

“I am very happy for you today,” businessman Roy Chiongbian said.

“We know how hard it is for you physically and mentally, but you are always behind each student’s success,” Chiongbian told the teachers. He is the youngest son of the late former Congressman James Chiongbian and former Governor Priscilla Chiongbian, both champions of education in Sarangani.

“This is the beauty of the province’s executive and legislative working together as one team,” Vice Governor Steve Chiongbian Solon said.

“As teachers, we are here as students of the university of life. We learn and innovate to really help others in our chosen vocation,” Solon added.

Schools Division Superintendent Deborah Adrales said DepEd Sarangani has improved its performance record from 37 to 61 percent in elementary and from 28 to 47 percent in high school in a span of six years, but more significantly in the past two years.

“We started by launching the QUEST raising the performance of our children. We believe that education is the key to poverty,” said Governor Dominguez.

“Our SEF (Special Education Fund) is so small, but we do not stop there,” the governor said. The provincial government has fielded 250 new teachers who are mostly assigned to schools in far-flung barangays.

Dominguez said the province will also identify schools mostly populated by indigenous children where it can build boarding houses with the teachers as their surrogate parents.

The provincial government, according to the tripartite agreement, “shall conceptualize and design the project as part of the QUEST Program” while the DepEd “shall implement, mobilize and evaluate the progress and impact of the school wide parent mentoring.”

The Chiongbian Group of Companies “shall provide the necessary funding requirement and assistance for the full implementation of the project.”

Prizes for the day-long games and activities such as books and home appliances were donated by Roy Chiongbian, Alcantara Foundation, Sagittarius Mines Incorporated, and Smart Communications. (Russtum G. Pelima/SARANGANI INFORMATION OFFICE)