Ferliza C. Contratista
CEBU, June 15
(PIA)— Balamban town in Cebu empowers out of school youths (OSY) by
adopting the “Abot-Alam” program and launched it aiming for zero OSY
in the country by the 2016.
Department of
Education (DepEd) and the Local Government Unit of Balamban through its
Alternative Learning System (ALS) initiated the launching of the program.
ALS association-Cebu
division president Gerardo Panugaling said “Abot-Alam” has two
phases. First it includes locating the OSY’s in the barangays and placing
them into a System.
The second phase
is the Reintegration program which will immerse the OSY in the communities
through programs and services offered by the DepEd, Technical Education Skills
and Development Administration (TESDA), Public Employment Services Office
(PESO) and other partner agencies.
Balamban Mayor Ace
Stefan Binghay said the purpose of this undertaking is to open the portal for
the out-of-school youth to education and employment.
“It can be of
great help to young people who have dropped out of school, those who never
finish schooling, or have finished only elementary or high school level. In
this way unemployment problem would be minimized,” he said.
Balamban Sangguniang
Bayan Education Committee Chair Atty. Jiembo Borgonia said his office
will find ways to allocate budget for the survey to gather data of the OSY in
every barangay of the town.
Balamban Community
Training chair and PESO manager Merlita Mila assures the office will
facilitate special skills training to the OSYs that would lead to
employment.
Barangay
captains of the 28 barangays and their respective Education Committee
Chairpersons, 11 secondary school administrators, all elementary schools
principals/Teachers in Charge, PESO, TESDA and other representatives from
different agencies joined the launching of "Abot-Alam" program.
The National Youth
Commission with the DepEd pushed the “Abot-Alam” Program in 2014. This
is a national strategy to organize efforts in integrating programs for OSY
with the vision of providing them opportunity for education, career and
employment. (mbcn/fcc/PIA7-Cebu/with reports from Alberto S. Arcilla/DepEd
Balamban)