Best of the Philippines

PALO, Leyte - A military project designed to combat rural illiteracy and ultimately reduce the problem of insurgency in Northern Samar won this year's national search for the "Most Outstanding Literacy program" conducted by the National Literacy Council (NLC), an agency under the Office of the President but attached to the Department Education (DepEd). Continue below.

Welcome to the Chat Rooms. Pick a room by geographic region or by topic of interest. The chat rooms are open 24x7, so members are always available and waiting to meet you right now. Jump in and join the festivities! Click to Filipino Friend Finder Chat Rooms

Successful Filipino Entrepreneurs :

Emi Pulido | John Gokongwei | Mother Lily Monteverde | Tony Tan Caktiong
Vicente Quimbo | William Go | Rads Sy

DepEd Region 8 Director Dr. Sol Forcadilla- Matugas identified the winning program as the "Army Literacy Patrol System" (ALPS) of the Army's 63rd Infantry Batallion based in Catubig town under the command of Lt. Col. Manuelito R. Usi.

Matuga said ALPS was the official regional entry of Eastern Visayas to the NLC's 2005 competion for best literacy program.

Lt. Col. Usi, who has always believed the education is vital towards reducing the spread of insurgency in the countryside, personally received a presidential trophy, during an appropriate rites held recently at the Manila Pavillion.

The rare occasion was witnessed by Matugas and other DepEd 8 officials including Northern Samar Schools Diversion Superintended Dr.Thelma Catubig and Dr. Linda C. Cinco, regional chief of the DepEd's Bureau of Alternative Learning System (BALS).

Matugas said that the ALPS, launched several years ago by the Army battalion commander, through coordination with the DepEd regional office, has benefited thousands of Northern Samar villagers, mostly illiterate adults who failed to complete their elementary education and out of-school youths who dropped out of elementary or secondary school largely due to poverty.

The project, Matugas said, utilizes qualified Army enlisted men as mentors, most of whom have earned some academic units in college, to teach rural folks in one barangay basic literacy skills, notably reading, writing and numeracy.

After the local learners complete the literacy course, the soldier-teachers, who are provided supervisory assistance by DepEd field officials, move to another barangay and repeat their instructional work to another group of "students."

According to Matugas, the ALPS has been noted by many concerned local government officials to be "slowly but surely combating the evils of insurgency in the countryside."

Matugas said she has directed the DepEd regional office Alternative Learning System Division to strengthen its support to the Army's literacy project so it could continue performing its commendable work.

October 22, 2005

>>> To New Business Career on Money Management