Stakeholders donate P64-M to CAR education

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet – Stakeholders contributed PHP64 million in various forms to schools in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) that help ease the situation of learners, an official of the Department of Education (DepEd) said Wednesday.

“Our stakeholders are very important. Since we are dealing with children, we regard the parents as stakeholders and not just those who help us when it comes to some financial aspects,” Dr. Estela Cariño, DepEd-CAR director, said during a press conference as part of the 2023 Education Stakeholders Forum here.

Many stakeholders also assisted DepEd in psycho-social training, as the community itself is needed to educate the children, she added.

“All stakeholders are important because we all know that teachers are not enough, we are not enough,” Cariño said.

Cariño noted that DepEd-CAR managed to raise PHP64,013,013 in donations within the 2023-2024 school year, which includes school supplies, equipment, construction materials, infrastructure, and even time provided to help children in public schools.

She said the DepEd-CAR, including the different division offices in Abra, Apayao, Baguio City, Benguet, Ifugao, Kalinga, Mountain Province, and Tabuk City have listed a total of 2,521 partner individuals and groups who assisted the agency.

The local government units, she said, are also education stakeholders that contribute to public schools. Parents and volunteers also assisted the children by tutoring and helping them complete their modules.

Organizations and companies also helped in repairing classrooms and damages in areas affected by natural disasters such as typhoons, monsoon rains, and earthquakes.

The CAR has 421,279 enrollees for the current school year.

Shielding the children’s future

In the same forum, Cariño spoke about the “Salaknib tan namnama” (Shielding the future) program of the agency, which has over 60 learner-beneficiaries.

Under the program, learners belonging to low-income families are provided with school supplies, grocery items, and cash incentives.

Ronald Ubaldo, the City Savings-Baguio branch head, said that as annual corporate social responsibility, they determine the assistance based on the needs of the beneficiary schools.

For school year 2023-2024, he said they provided printers, and laptops in various schools.

Among their beneficiaries are the Guinaoang National High School in Mankayan and the Sagandoy Elementary School in Buguias, Benguet.

On top of the partnership, financial aid worth PHP300,000 is provided for the completion of the Gaswiling Integrated School in Kapangan, Benguet. (PNA)