USAID donates P12-M worth of distance learning equipment to DepEd
The US Embassy said that the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) donated over PHP12 million (USD240,000) worth of distance learning equipment to the Department of Education (DepEd) for its Alternative Learning System (ALS) e-Skwela learning centers.
The agency virtually deliver the donations on July 14 to DepEd ALS Assistant Secretary G.H. Ambat and Legazpi City Mayor Noel Rosal.
“The US government, through USAID, is here to support DepEd in reinvigorating education programs. We are working hard so that vulnerable, out-of-school youth who have stopped schooling due to the pandemic are given the opportunity and tools to adapt, grow, and have a better tomorrow,” USAID Acting Mission Director Sean Callahan said.
Donations are desktop units, printers, projectors, wireless routers, and other important materials for ALS implementers and learners to implement distance learning programs.
Beneficiaries are e-Skwela centers in the cities of Cagayan de Oro, General Santos, Angeles, Legazpi, and Davao
USAID had been supporting ALS’s continuity through its Opportunity 2.0 program amid the pandemic.
“The Covid-19 pandemic worsened the out-of-school youth’s lack of access to education. This has magnified their vulnerability, leaving them less able to pursue education and progress towards better economic opportunities for themselves and their families,” Ambat said.
“We are happy that USAID remains one of DepEd’s strongest partners, committed to supporting us in improving the quality of basic education for Filipino youth,” she added.
