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Pagadian City (30 May) — US Ambassador to the Philippines Kristie Kenney arrived here yesterday morning with USAID Mission Director Jon Lindborg to officiate the book distribution at the Zamboanga del Sur National High School under the USAID-Growth with Equity in Mindanao (GEM)/Education Awareness Support Effort (EASE).
The USAID-GEM’s EASE was designed to increase public awareness of the problems facing education in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) and neighboring conflict-affected areas of Mindanao (CAAM), and to mobilize local and parental support to try to address some problems.
The major activity carried out under EASE is a “matching grant program,” wherein GEM-EASE provides Parents-Teachers-Community Associations with funding equal to the amount that they raise for the implementation of specific activities or projects that will help improve educational services or programs.
Herself the granddaughter of a public school teacher, Ambassador Kenney recognized the efforts of teachers as well as parents in providing the best education for their children. “Don’t stop learning… be the very best that you can be, be curious to learn about things… “, she admonished the students.
In the past two years, about 130 school libraries were provided with additional books.
During the event, an additional 15 schools were provided with approximately 500 donated books for each school.
This book distribution is a result of the partnership between USAID-GEM and the Children International Foundation of the United States, which has recently provided 12,000 high quality textbooks in English, Science and Mathematics, suitable for elementary and high school students.
The program is in line with President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s upgraded plan which centers around improving delivery of the three (3) E’s, namely Education, Economy, and Environment.
The President’s 3Es action plan is a three-pronged approach at alleviating poverty by addressing its main causes: the lack of jobs, investment and infrastructure.
Asked by a student journalist how can beneficiaries of the various programs of USAID pay back, Ambassador Kenney said, “You can pay us back by being successful. We want you to use these materials and go on… and lead your country, lead businesses, lead schools. We want you all to go on and do right things.”
The event was the last in the itinerary of the US Ambassador having graced the 1st Coastal Resource Management Summit of the Province of Zamboanga del Sur held at Hotel Alindahaw and turn-over of the AMORE project in San Miguel.
She was accorded a very warm welcome at the airport by Governor Aurora E. Cerilles, Congressman Antonio H. Cerilles, Vice Governor Roseller Ariosa, Vice Mayor Romeo Pulmones, local government officials, non-government organizations and media personalities. (PIA-RO9)
