Pangasinan ‘mobile teacher’ gets presidential award for volunteerism

SAN CARLOS CITY, Pangasinan – President Arroyo has named a mobile teacher from this city, who educates out-of-school youths and illiterate citizens in remote areas, as the 2007 National Awardee in the Search for Outstanding Volunteers.

Dr. Edwin Ferrer, of Quezon Boulevard in this city, presented to San Carlos Mayor Julier Resuello his medal for being the Presidential Awardee on Volunteerism.

The award was in recognition of Dr. Ferrer’s “outstanding work in championing the cause of the vulnerable sectors of society through his initiatives in the continued education and rehabilitation of inmates and their families and functional literacy for adults, out-of-school youth and senior citizens, providing them support to gain self-confidence, dignity, and opportunity for social integration.”

Mobile teachers teach in areas with high illiteracy rate, a huge population of out-of-school youth, and where education is hampered by insurgency. At present there are 1,381 mobile teachers deployed nationwide.

The Department of Education also commended Ferrer, a mobile teacher under the Bureau of Alternative Learning Systems.

In the awarding ceremony late last year, the President remarked that “we need more teachers like Dr. Edwin Ferrer.”

Ferrer has been a mobile teacher for eight years in 86 barangays within Pangasinan, raising the level of literacy in these communities.

Mrs. Arroyo described teachers like Ferrer as “virtually heroes, crossing mountains and rivers just to provide basic education to out-of-school youth and adults who still want to learn.”

Recognizing the productive efforts of mobile teachers, Mrs. Arroyo said the budget for alternative learning has been increased from P76 million in 2006 to P230 million last year.