Text2Teach reaches Southern Luzon
6/21/2010 | Ayala Foundation
Public elementary schools in Ligao City, Albay will soon be able to use the power of mobile technology in the classroom, with the launch of Text2Teach in Ligao City. Ligao is the first Text2Teach site in Southern Luzon.
On May 26, Ligao City Mayor Linda Gonzalez and Ayala Foundation Senior Director for Education and Leadership Development, Mario Deriquito, signed the Memorandum of Agreement that will bring Text2Teach technology to 24 public elementary schools in Ligao. Mr. Simo Hoikka, BridgeIT Program Manager, Nokia Philippines, was present to witness the signing.
Dr. Evangeline Palencia, Schools Division Superintendent, Department of Education-City Schools Division of Ligao, signed the MOA on June 3, during the schools validation visit of the Text2Teach team in Ligao.
Mayor Gonzalez is a true education advocate who personally sought out Ayala Foundation to inquire about the Text2Teach program. In her last term, she hopes her initiatives in education will serve as a legacy to the people of Ligao. Both she and her husband, Congressman Fernando Gonzalez of Albay, are both staunch believers in the importance of education as a way out to break the cycle of poverty.
The 24 public elementary schools that will be receiving the Text2Teach package represent 50% of the total number of schools in Ligao. Ayala Foundation's Text2Teach team conducted the validation of the 49 schools last June 1-4. Broken down in two teams to cover more ground considering the terrain and distance of the schools (Mayon schools and upland/coastal schools), the schools were visited, their school heads interviewed, and pictures of the school grounds and proposed Text2Teach classroom taken for documentation and to ensure objectivity in the identification process of the targeted 24 schools. The identified schools will be proposed to Mayor Gonzalez and Dr. Palencia once the validation process is completed.
A community launch is being set for early August to mark the deployment and implementation of Text2Teach in Ligao City. During the event, Text2Teach will turn over the mobile phones and SIM cards to the schools. Kolin Philippines International, Inc., the official provider of the Text2Teach TV sets, will deliver the TVs directly to the schools.
Visit http://www.ayalafoundation.org for more information.
<< Back to News Archive