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Representing the turning over of a newly constructed two-classroom school building to the Tuyan Elementary School in Malapatan, Sarangani on March 25, 2010: (L-R) Philippine Department of Education Region XII Director Dr. Isabelita Borres, US Chargé d’Affaires Leslie Bassett, Sarangani Governor Miguel Dominguez, Petron Foundation Executive Director Malu Erni, and USAID/Philippines Mission Director Elzadia Washington. |
The recent turnover of a newly constructed two-classroom building in Malapatan, Sarangani province highlights the partnership between USAID and Petron Foundation in addressing the classroom shortage in the country, a Global Development Alliance partnership managed by USAID’s Education Quality and Access for Learning and Livelihood Project (EQuALLS2). Petron Foundation is the corporate social responsibility (CSR) arm of Petron Corporation, one of the largest petroleum companies in the Philippines.
USAID and Petron are building and repairing 600 classrooms in Mindanao through EQuALLS2, focusing efforts in Regions IX and XII and the ARMM, some of the poorest and most conflict-affected regions in the country. The classrooms come with chairs, tables, blackboards, cabinets, electric fans, a toilet in each classroom, and electrical and water facilities.
Additionally, USAID partners with US-based Brother's Brother Foundation, one of the world's biggest private donors of books from some of the most recognized book publishers, to provide 1.8 million books to Mindanao. The books are used to promote reading among Mindanao schoolchildren, boost student literacy, and aid teachers in enhancing student attention, comprehension, and retention--all major challenges in this region.
USAID also partners with National Book Store Foundation, the CSR arm of the biggest book store chain in the Philippines, to split the cost of 48,000 Merriam-Webster English dictionaries for Mindanao public elementary schools. Teachers earlier identified English dictionaries as among the materials they need most for enhanced instruction.
USAID and Microsoft have partnered to assist educators in developing education technology skills that will enable them to improve school and classroom management; educator content in English, science and math; and identification of models of effective instruction. More than 1,000 teachers have been trained on basic computer use for faster preparation of lesson plans, computing and recording of grades, preparation of visual aids, and information search. These teachers are now practicing their new skills using the computer sets, printers, and software that the project provided, while transferring their skills to other teachers.
The Global Development Alliance model combines the energy and resources of corporations, foundations, and other non-traditional partners with the technical expertise and experience of the US Government.
