Office of the President of the Philippines

COMMISSION ON INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY

2nd eSKWELA CONFERENCE

Shaping the Future Through Synergy
Tuesday, 31 March 2009, 1:00 p.m.
Matabungkay Hotel and Beach Resort, Lian, Batangas
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Opening Remarks
SECRETARY RAY ANTHONY ROXAS-CHUA III
Chairman, Commission on Information and Communications Technology

To be read by
COMMISSIONER CONSUELO S. PEREZ

First Daughter Ms. Luli Arroyo-Bernas, Secretary of Education Jesli Lapus, Dr. Nora
Magnaye, President of the Batangas State University, distinguished guests, ladies and
gentlemen, a pleasant good afternoon to all of you.

Let me start by welcoming you to the second eSkwela Conference on the theme “Shaping
the Future Through Synergy”. We gather together to share in the success of an innovative
initiative, due in large part to the effective mobilization of a broad base of stakeholders
committed to provide learning opportunities to the underprivileged and marginalized
sectors of our society. We particularly commend the Department of Education, through its
Bureau of Alternative Learning System, the CICT eSkwela Project Team, partner local
government units, state universities and colleges, eSkwela implementors, teachers,
instructional managers, and civic and non-government organizations, whose untiring
efforts and commitment contributed to the successful synergy of vision and
implementation of the eSkwela Project.

The eSkwela Project responds directly to our national development priority of delivering
learning opportunities through ICT to our out-of-school youths and adults. A flagship
project of the Commission on Information and Communications Technology, or CICT,
through its Human Capital Development Group, the Project attempts to reduce the digital
learning divide and enhance the capacity of these individuals to be successful participants
in a global and knowledge-based economy. We are particularly supportive of the eSkwela
project, because not only does it offer our students an opportunity to gain exposure to
computers and the Internet, but it also gives students who have dropped out of school for
a variety of reasons a second chance. Sometimes, a second chance is all a student needs
to go from living on the streets to making a difference in society.

CICT-NCC Building, Carlos P. Garcia Avenue, Diliman 1101 Quezon City Republic of the Philippines
Tel. Nos. (632) 426.1526 to 28 Trunk Line (632) 920.0101 locals 101-102 Fax No. (632) 426.1525
www.cict.gov.ph
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Established through a grant from the APEC Education Foundation, four eSkwela pilot
sites were initially set-up in Quezon City; San Jose del Monte City in Bulacan; Cebu City
and Cagayan de Oro City, and inaugurated within the first half of 2007. Following this
initial grant, the CICT made the eSkwela Project part of its ICT for Basic Education, or
ICT4BE, Program and continued to provide support for further development of e-learning
and livelihood modules, regional road shows for the mobilization of local communities,
and training for the educators and implementers of community-led eSkwela Centers.
Currently, in addition to the four pilot sites, five new community-led eSkwela Centers
have been set up in Ormoc City, Zamboanga City, Quezon City-Loyola Heights, Marikina
City, and Leyte-Tanauan. We are also happy to report that forty more initiatives led by
local communities, are in varying stages of implementation.

The eSkwela Project utilizes an ICT-enabled, inquiry-based, interdisciplinary, and

thematic approach to teaching and learning. At an eSkwela Center, a blended type of
learner-centered instruction is exercised where students can engage in computer-aided
learning via interactive e-learning modules, teacher-led instruction, and collaborative
group activities and projects. Instructors, called mobile teachers, are mainly facilitative in
a student-paced learning environment. In its first year of operations, the pilot eSkwela
Centers produced a total of 563 learners, of which 356 have passed the Accreditation and
Equivalency Exam of the Department of Education.

We are extremely proud to note that such innovative teaching earned the eSkwela Project
a Certificate of Commendation from the UNESCO ICT in Education Innovation Awards
in 2008. Let us give a round of applause to the CICT eSkwela Project Team, as well as all
the eSkwela partners and stakeholders. [APPLAUSE]

As we progress towards a global, knowledge-based economy, let us not forget that our
competitiveness lies in how well we develop and nurture our human capital resources. As
knowledge becomes the building block of our knowledge society, the value of education
cannot be emphasized enough; and for education to be relevant, there has to be room for
new ideas and innovation.

I enjoin you all to continue the good work, sustain the energy, and keep sight of the goal
of bridging the digital learning divide. This Conference affords us the opportunity to
share new ideas and next steps for an improved implementation of the eSkwela Project
for 2009-2010. We have benefited 563 learners so far, and many more await our help and
support so that they may have a brighter and more promising future.

Maraming salamat at mabuhay!