20 schools avail of computers under 'PC for Public School' project
San Jose, Antique -- In line with the government's thrust of eradicating computer backlogs in public high schools, Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) turned over 200 computers to 20 public high schools in the province as part of Personal Computer for Public School Project (PCPS) Phase III.
DTI saw the need to establish more computer laboratories in the remaining public high schools all over the country which are still without access to information and technology.
In Antique, 39 schools or 80% of the total public high schools are beneficiaries of the PCPS project since phase I. DTI national data revealed that PCPS phases 1 & 2 has reduced the computer backlog from 5,360 to 3,132 or from 94% to 55% and will eventually reduced with the PCPS phase 3 implementation.
Engr. Wilhelm Malones, Provincial Director DTI Antique reported that they have already turned over more than 300 computers to public high schools and local government units in the province during the last 2 phases of the project.
Victor de Gracia, Asst. Schools Division Superintendent, Division of Antique in an interview said that PCPS finds its relevance to the computer literacy program of the secondary education where all students should have the basic skills and knowledge on computer operations to prepare them for work or vocational courses/college education after graduation.
PCPS project is supported by the Government of Japan in cooperation with the Department of Education. Under Phase 3 of PCPS, our country has availed of P600 Million grant for 1,200 public high schools nationwide. A total of 250, 000 students and about 50,000 teachers are targeted to be trained on IT-based education.
DTI further revealed that 600 public high schools in Luzon are to receive the computer packages, 324 school beneficiaries from Visayas and 274 schools in Mindanao. Each school will receive ten desk top computers with pre-installed software, one printer, one set of networking equipment and one set of media installation kit.
According to DTI, PCPC project is in response to the growing challenges posed by the fast emerging Knowledge Economy. It hopes to enhance IT skills of the Filipino youth as the country's future knowledge workers and promote IT culture in the Philippine classrooms as an avenue to develop Filipinos' skills to be at par with global standards.
(PIA Antique)