US gives add’l P485-M aid to advance basic educ in PH

MANILA: The United States government is providing an additional PHP485 million (USD9 million) to help expand basic education in the Philippines, the US Embassy in Manila said Thursday.

The fund will finance the US Agency for International Development (USAID) project ‘Advancing Basic Education in the Philippines or ABC+,’ which aims to improve literacy and math skills among Filipino children.

With a total funding of PHP2.6 billion, ABC+ will extend its reach to new regions, including select areas in Metro Manila, Mimaropa, the Cordillera region, and Soccsksargen.

The additional funding will provide 900,000 new books and learning materials, benefiting at least 350,000 students and bringing the total number of students reached to 2.8 million.

‘We are focusing on strengthening students” foundational skills, especially for those students who are struggling with reading. Just as with learning to read, we are taking a team approach – advancing step by step, word by word, teacher by teacher, student by student, t
o open possibilities for Filipino youth,’ US Ambassador MaryKay Carlson said.

‘The United States is committed to working with the Philippines to provide a quality education that empowers children to enjoy a successful future,’ she added.

In a ceremony on Oct. 2, Carlson also handed over K-3 books to the Schools Division Office of Malabon City, one of the project’s new expansion areas.

Along with Education Secretary Juan Edgardo Angara, she led a read-along session with Grade 3 students of the Malabon Elementary School to further encourage interest in reading.

“There is so much to be thankful for – the USAID ABC+ project has been successful in improving the capacities of our learners, and we want to expand it using the resources of the DepEd (Department of Education) in the same way, with the same quality, the same measurability, and the same rigor that ABC+ has provided,’ Angara said.

‘I see not just thousands of learners blooming, but millions of learners blooming because of these contributions.”

Joini
ng them were Malabon City Mayor Jeannie Sandoval, officials of DepEd in the National Capital Region and Mimaropa, and representatives of Schools Division Offices in Malabon, Marikina, and Pasig.

Through the project, USAID has provided more than 43,000 educators with early literacy training certified by the National Educators Academy of the Philippines; created and distributed 33.2 million early-grade literacy materials; and supported students in Bicol, Western Visayas, and select areas in the Bangsamoro region.

Since 2019, the USAID has been working with DepEd through the ABC+ project to strengthen teacher professional development, improve access to learning materials, and bolster the capacity of the education system.

Source: Philippines News Agency