BY GLENDA SOLOGASTOA
NUEVA Valencia, Guimaras – Education Secretary Armin Luistro will spearhead the regional launching of Brigada Eskwela – bayanihan-style cleaning of school rooms – here today.
Department of Education (DepEd) regional director Corazon Brown said the regional launching of Brigada Eskwela will be held at Nueva Valencia National High School.
Brown said Luistro himself selected the school to host the launching.
The ceremonial opening of Brigada Eskwela took place yesterday morning at Pavia National High School in Pavia, Iloilo with DepEd Undersecretary Mario Derequito gracing it along with local officials of the town headed by Mayor Mike Gorriceta.
Derequito likewise visited Guimaras yesterday afternoon and met with Gov. Samuel Gumarin regarding the new program of DepEd entitled Abot-Alam which will also be launched today with Luistro.
Abot-Alam is a special literacy program very similar to the Alternative Learning System (ALS) aimed at educating out-of school-youth up to 30 years old.
Brown said the program would be implemented this year in partnership with local government units.
Today, Derequito will tell more about the said program, Brown said.
Meanwhile, Iloilo’s Gov. Arthur Defensor Sr. is calling all parents in the province of Iloilo to participate in Brigada Eskwela.
He appealed to the parents to help schools in the repair and cleanup of school classrooms, buildings and surroundings as the opening of classes is fast approaching.
As regards the destroyed school buildings in the province, Defensor said the budget for the repair and reconstruction had not yet arrived.
He said that in his meeting last week with Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Rogelio Singson and representatives from DepEd, he learned that the budget is about to be downloaded to DepEd, the implementing agency./PN
