DepEd partners with public, private institutions in battle vs ignorance

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Education (DepEd) forged last week a partnership with various public and private institutions to improve the delivery of quality education for the out-of-school youth (OSY) in the country under its “Abot-Alam” program.

Education Secretary Armin Luistro said the government aims to provide education and livelihood skills to one million OSY this year. 

“We are in a battle — a battle against ignorance and apathy. Our dream is to ensure that no out-of-school youth in every barangay will be left behind,” he said in Filipino, adding the DepEd would bring the school to the learners.

The Abot-Alam program is a nationwide program that envisions a zero OSY in the Philippines.

DepEd signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with government and non-government organizations, including the Department of Agriculture, Philippine Center for Entrepreneurship-Go Negosyo, Smarts Communications, Inc., Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines, League of Cities of the Philippines, League of Municipalities of the Philippines, and the National Youth Commission.

 â€œThe signing of the MOU solidifies our readiness to deliver Abot-Alam in different areas in the country. It is a sign that we are ready to take on the challenge of achieving zero out-of-school youth in the country,” DepEd Undersecretary for External Linkages Mario Derequito said. He said collective effort of different agencies, organizations, and individual Filipinos is crucial to the success of Abot-Alam.

The MOU elaborated the different ways by which the different groups could take part in Abot-Alam. It would also serve an initial guide to continue to define respective contributions of the different organizations to this effort.

Nagcarlan, Laguna was among the first local government agencies that implemented the program.

Luistro said three to four million Filipinos, aged 13 to 30 years old, did not finish high school.