"HELP" paves the way for peace
BASILAN PROVINCE (OPAPP/ JAN. 31, 2008)--- Over a thousand families in Basilan have recently received various forms of assistance from the combined efforts of government and non-government organizations through the Health, Education, Livelihood for Progress (H.E.L.P.) Humanitarian Caravan.
Following the successful launch of similar undertaking in Sulu days earlier, the inter-agency caravan, armed with medicines, books, scholarship grants, and livelihood packages, including feeding programs for the children, trooped to the towns of Tipo-Tipo and Sumisip to mount humanitarian offensives.
"We thank the national government and partner organizations for the conduct of this humanitarian undertaking," says Basilan Governor Jum Akbar. "This is something that our people in Basilan have longed for and something that we hope can help make way for peace."
Coordinated by the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP), the H.E.L.P Humanitarian Caravan is a joint initiative of government and non-government organizations to respond to the immediate needs of affected communities through the simultaneous and convergent delivery of social and economic services, targeting the Provinces of Sulu and Basilan.
During the Basilan caravan, a total of 881 patients were provided with free medical and dental services, including medicines by a team of doctors and health workers from the Department of Health (DOH).
Meanwhile, the livelihood cluster of the caravan awarded thirty (30) PGMA Training for Work Scholarships under the Technical Skills Development Authority (TESDA), dispersed twenty-four (24) carabaos for farming and distributed farm seedlings from the Department of Agriculture (DA), and turned-over one million peso fund support for the One Town One Product (OTOP) project of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI - ARMM).
In addition, the education cluster also provided 6,300 textbooks for pre-school and elementary levels, 1,250 kilos of rice for elementary pupils under the Food for School project of the Department of Education (DepEd) and distributed hundreds of used clothing for the children.
In an effort to strengthen educational and teaching standards in the area, the DepEd in partnership with the Professional Regulatory Commission (PRC), offered a review program to public school teachers who failed in the Licensure Examination for Teachers (LET). With this, DepEd committed to temporarily hire these teachers for a maximum of three (3) years until they pass the LET.
Further, DepEd and the Department of Energy (DOE) will also install a Solar Powered Science Laboratory for High School in Basilan, along with the allocation of P12 million to fund the construction of school buildings to be built in partnership with the AFP Engineering Brigade.
According to Presidential Peace Adviser Jesus Dureza, the convergence effort will be a continuing activity to be carried out every quarter in Basilan and Sulu, covering the areas perennially affected by conflict. OPAPP
Following the successful launch of similar undertaking in Sulu days earlier, the inter-agency caravan, armed with medicines, books, scholarship grants, and livelihood packages, including feeding programs for the children, trooped to the towns of Tipo-Tipo and Sumisip to mount humanitarian offensives.
"We thank the national government and partner organizations for the conduct of this humanitarian undertaking," says Basilan Governor Jum Akbar. "This is something that our people in Basilan have longed for and something that we hope can help make way for peace."
Coordinated by the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP), the H.E.L.P Humanitarian Caravan is a joint initiative of government and non-government organizations to respond to the immediate needs of affected communities through the simultaneous and convergent delivery of social and economic services, targeting the Provinces of Sulu and Basilan.
During the Basilan caravan, a total of 881 patients were provided with free medical and dental services, including medicines by a team of doctors and health workers from the Department of Health (DOH).
Meanwhile, the livelihood cluster of the caravan awarded thirty (30) PGMA Training for Work Scholarships under the Technical Skills Development Authority (TESDA), dispersed twenty-four (24) carabaos for farming and distributed farm seedlings from the Department of Agriculture (DA), and turned-over one million peso fund support for the One Town One Product (OTOP) project of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI - ARMM).
In addition, the education cluster also provided 6,300 textbooks for pre-school and elementary levels, 1,250 kilos of rice for elementary pupils under the Food for School project of the Department of Education (DepEd) and distributed hundreds of used clothing for the children.
In an effort to strengthen educational and teaching standards in the area, the DepEd in partnership with the Professional Regulatory Commission (PRC), offered a review program to public school teachers who failed in the Licensure Examination for Teachers (LET). With this, DepEd committed to temporarily hire these teachers for a maximum of three (3) years until they pass the LET.
Further, DepEd and the Department of Energy (DOE) will also install a Solar Powered Science Laboratory for High School in Basilan, along with the allocation of P12 million to fund the construction of school buildings to be built in partnership with the AFP Engineering Brigade.
According to Presidential Peace Adviser Jesus Dureza, the convergence effort will be a continuing activity to be carried out every quarter in Basilan and Sulu, covering the areas perennially affected by conflict. OPAPP
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