By Butch D. Enerio
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY—Globe Telecom Inc. and the Ayala Foundation Inc. (AFI) have given two public schools in this city the distinction of being Global Filipino Schools (GFS) that are on their way to becoming 21st century-ready educational institutions.
Globe and AFI identified Indahag Elementary School in Barangay Indahag, and Fr. William F. Masterson SJ Elementary School in upper Barangay Carmen as the first two schools in the entire country to benefit under the expanded GFS program.
Globe said that GFS, which was started four years ago, is a long-term educational initiative that endeavors to transform selected public schools into centers of excellence in innovative teaching methods and information and communications technology (ICT).
Yolanda Crisanto, Globe Telecom senior vice president for Corporate Communications, said the GFS is a five-year program that would benefit more public schools nationwide. The firm hopes to meet its target of partnering with 60 schools this year.
“Globe believes in the importance of providing quality education to Filipino youths for a brighter future. With the GFS program, we could help both the teachers and students further improve their skills and become globally competitive,” Crisanto said.
She added that Indahag and Masterson schools are just the beginning of a nationwide campaign that Globe and AFI are embarking on to provide 21st century education with the goal of creating a wonderful Philippines.
AFI, which is the lead implementer of the program, would train teachers to become more adept at computer technology and other innovative teaching methods so they could be more in harmony with their students.
“Empowering communities has long been at the heart of AFI, and education is one of the ways for us to materialize our advocacy. Through education, we hope to pave the way for students and teachers to reach their full potential not only for the benefit of their families, but for their community and country, as well,” said Ruel Maranan, AFI president.
He added that GFS will provide schools with support systems that meet global standard, including ICT proficiency trainings for teachers, an ICT-equipped school environment, and committed education stakeholders.
Part of the program is for the schools to be fully utilized as teacher training hub for the corresponding selected division in the Department of Education (DepEd). The GFS schools will have collaborative learning areas for group activities and will also be provided with a newly constructed ICT laboratory equipped with computers, Internet connectivity and other multimedia tools.
The GFS of Indahag and Masterson are supported by Mitsubishi Corp., the city government of Cagayan de Oro and the Far Eastern University.