“What we are doing is very important, very fundamental as it is the heart of the education system. And our education system is the heart of our economy.”
This remark from Governor Arthur Defensor, Jr. delivered on the weekend during the culmination of the weeklong training for elementary educators highlighted the significant importance of human resources in shaping the nation’s economic landscape.
Addressing reading teachers, Defensor emphasized the urgency of fortifying the educational framework against what he termed as a looming threat to national security.
“We want to expand it immediately because this is a national emergency,” said Defensor.
Synergeia and Edcom II, with assistance from the Iloilo Education Core Group (EDCORE), facilitated two pieces of training for school principals and reading teachers under Proof-of-Concept Program (POC) on May 6-11 in Iloilo City.
The training taught teachers strategies to improve the reading competencies of learners in Iloilo to have 100% readers in Grade 3 by 2025.
While education isn’t a devolved function of local government units, Governor Defensor’s administration fully embraces responsibility for the province’s educational system.
The governor also assured the participants of the provincial government’s support through the Provincial School Board, tasking the Iloilo Education Core Group (EDCORE) to develop an incentive program for teachers and schools who meet the target.
“It’s a good idea to incentivize our program,” said Defensor.
Governor Defensor amicably interacted with the crowd, sharing anecdotes on how he started reading and his parents’ active role in their education, especially his mother.
The event under the “Bulig Eskwela Sang Probinsya” (BES Probins) Program is one of the many interventions of the provincial government to advance education and secure a brighter future for the province of Iloilo.
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