BRIGHTER REALITIES IN VISAYAS

By Roland Andrei T. Carada

You are making brighter realities in the Visayas.

In Tagbilaran City, Bohol, we find Dr. Cecilio Putong National High School, one of the oldest learning institutions in the city and the Philippines. A public secondary education school, it is home to more than 3,000 students, each with dreams brighter than the sun.

In sunny Roxas City, on the island of Panay, is Dumulog National High School. There, boys and girls are dreaming bigger dreams, all thanks to you.

Found in far-flung areas of the Philippines, each of these schools needed help, especially during the pandemic. The B2B: Breakfast to Business episode with one of our partners, Yellow Boat of Hope (YBH), talks about these challenges when serving far-flung communities.

First, the problem was hunger. Access to food was one of the first things to go during a lockdown and many families had to go hungry. Many parents were unable to go to work during the pandemic and a lot of them lost their jobs.

Second, there was the conundrum of connectivity. Since many of these communities were far-off, access to the internet was sparse. The problem was that the Department of Education was not allowing face-to-face classes and the only way to do the classes was via online modules or printing out the modules and sending them to the students’ homes.

It was a reality of the pandemic where we had to respond. For our students to continue to dream, they required access to the tools they needed to make the most of their digital learning experience.

Thus, we had to shift our methods. Logistically, sending thousands of shoeboxes filled with educational supplies was challenging. The ongoing crisis put a damper on collecting and sending the shoeboxes.

But even if this was the reality, the task was still the same. Support quality education. 

By partnering with YBH, who helps dreamers in many communities in the Philippines through various initiatives, and the IT and Business Process Association of the Philippines (IBPAP), alongside its 300 strong member companies and six partner associations, we were able to provide educational hubs (e-Hubs) to these schools. 

BIGGER SHOEBOXES, BIGGER DREAMS

In a way, these e-Hubs were a bigger version of the shoeboxes we donated during our campaigns. A shoebox contained school supplies to help each student study. An e-Hub also contained the same thing, but this time geared towards digital learning. For only P150,000 we can support thousands of students who can continue their studies. 

Each eHub contains:

• Six (6) laptops
• Stable internet for one (1) whole year 
• Printer and printing supplies 
• School supplies
• Washable face masks and alcohol 
• Coverage for administrative and logistical expenses

Our learners can then go to the e-Hub to complete their modules and study under the Department of Education’s blended learning approach. Teachers are also welcome to utilize the e-Hubs to download and print modules that their students can use, as well as create their lesson plans for the week.

TIMES ARE STILL CHANGING

Like in all things, the realities we need to respond to shift and change. Now, with face-to-face classes coming back and us at the tail-end of the global pandemic, our dreamers need our help. Digital learning and blended learning experiences are still important ways for education to continue.

The e-Hub remains a viable tool for helping support our dreamers. That is why we need your help. You and your organization can help more dreamers in more places around the Philippines.

Each e-Hub leaves a lasting legacy that will have a lasting impact that will last for decades. Each dream we make bigger and we push toward reality burns bright, and becomes a bright beacon of hope for the whole country.
We made brighter realities happen in the Visayas. Let us make it happen everywhere. Donate today when you pledge here at My Dream in a Shoe Box.