Australia, through Asian Foundation, distributes books for Yolanda victims

ORMOC CITY, Philippines - — The Australian government, through The Asian Foundation, donated 2,000 new books to typhoon-hit schools in this city and in the neighboring town of Kananga, under its Books for Asia Program (BAP).

The ceremonial turnover of donated books was held over the weekend at the Eastern Visayas State University-Ormoc campus, and attended by Australian Embassy program officer Joji Abot Camelon, Elmer Recuerdo of The Asian Foundation (TAF), Dep-Ed Ormoc superintendent Mariza Magan, heads of seven local colleges and a representative from the Kananga LGU.

The book donation project, under the Philippines-Australia Community Assistance Program (PACAP), was a small grants program managed by TAF in support of civil society organizations and poor communities throughout the country.

Australia continues to be the Philippines’ lead bilateral grant donor in basic education. The BAP distributes free books and supplementary reading materials to schools nationwide as a continuing commitment to promote education and literacy in the country.

Government reports said the Philippines’ education sector incurred Yolanda-caused damage, estimated at P21.6 million, of which P11.4 million was on schools’ infrastructure.

TAF said Australia was among the first countries that responded to Yolanda-hit areas in the country. Australian engineers and military service personnel were deployed to Ormoc City to help in the clearing up and repair of various schools, which in turn resumed classes last Dec. 2.  (FREEMAN)