"Better Life in Rural Communities with ICTs"
WORLD TELECOMMUNICATION AND INFORMATION SOCIETY DAY 2011 (WTISD)
17 May 2011
In response to ITU's Call for Action, the Philippines through the Commission on Information and Communications Technology (CICT), is proud to share a few of the success stories that that are being experienced by its rural communities as well as ordinary citizens. In the following feature articles, you will get real-life stories on how ICT has greatly improved the way of life among Filipinos particularly those in the rural communities.
I. ONE LAPTOP PER CHILD (OLCP) PROGRAM IN LUBANG ISLAND, MINDORO OCCIDENTAL
The Local Government of Lubang Island in collaboration with non-government organizations, and private companies has launched the "One Laptop Per Child (OLPC)" project that aims to provide free laptops to elementary students in the island. The OLPC Program is an initiative intended for school children aged 6 to 12 years, residents of Lubang island, a low-class municipality located in Mindoro Occidental, Visayas Region of the Philippines. The program aims to create educational opportunities by providing these school children with a rugged, low-cost, low-power and connected laptops bundled with software designed for collaborative, joyful, and self-empowered learning. This program equalizes the learning opportunity of learners in urban centers and those in remote areas thereby closing the digital gap. The first 100 units of XO computer laptops were distributed to Grade 4 students of Lubang Integrated School and Maligaya Elementary School. Additional 400 students will get their own laptops this year.
The OLPC Program was started by Lubang Mayor Juan Sanchez by convincing his former classmates to donate 60 XO laptop computers to Lubang Island. The program was put together by past and current employees of the National Computer Center (NCC) who had Sanchez as its first managing director in 1969. Additional funding support to sustain the program are being provided by cause-oriented private groups/organizations.
The XO laptops are connected to each other, even when they are off. If one laptop is connected to the Internet, the others will follow to the web. Children can be permanently connected to chat, share information on the Web and gather by video conference, make music together, edit texts, read e-books, and enjoy the use of collaborative games online.
II. CONNECTING FAMILIES THRU CYBERSPACE
This true-to life- experience happened to an Overseas Filipina Worker (OFW) from Tacloban City, Visayas Region, Philippines in September 9, 2008. For Ms. Maria Christina "Christy" Saldana Warren, a Filipina working in Galena, Missouri, the official website of the Local Government of Tanauan, Leyte, was instrumental in locating her family with whom she had lost contact with after the Pinatubo eruption. After 18 years of searching for local Filipino websites, she found the government website of Tanauan, Leyte a big help. She left a message at the site's guestbook, signing as Christina Saldana Warren... "A Filipina On A Mission, who is in urgent need for assistance to Find My Family In The Philippines". Back in Tanauan CeC, Mr. Eugene Ramos, webmaster of the Tanauan website, forwarded Christy's message to then Tanauan mayor Atty. Roque Tiu. After closely coordinating with the officials of the barangay, Christy found her brothers. The tanauan website is designed and maintained by the Tanauan Community eCenter ICT team.
III. BOAC TELERAD EXPERIENCE
The experience of the Boac Community eCenter (CeC) sets the precedence for other CeCs to explore the convergence of new services and products in their communities. For years, Marinduque had no practicing radiologist/sonologist in the province; residents needed to go to laboratories located towns and cities as far as Metro Manila to have their x-ray and ultrasound results interpreted. Realizing the need for a more efficient system to deliver basic health services to its community, the local government of Boac used ICT to fill the gap in delivering health service with efficiency. With the help of the UP Telehealth Center, the Boac Teleradiology, an image sending station based in the Boac CeC, was born. This first-of¬a-kind service has established Boac as the 'Center for Teleradiology', serving not only its municipality but the entire region of Marinduque.
IV. INSPIRING IT EDUCATION FOR THE DIFFERENTLY-ABLED
With no school sufficiently prepared to accept a student with muscular dystrophy, Mr. Phil Ray Neri absorbed everything he can from his first teacher, his mother. At nine years old, he began to read and dreamt of going to school one day. His disability never hindered him from pursuing an education and a normal student life. However, thanks to the eSkwela Project, he successfully obtained both the elementary and high school graduate certification after passing the Department of Education's Accreditation and Equivalency examination. This allowed him to pursue a college degree in Information Technology at the Mindanao University of Science and Technology. He has made history as the first differently abled student to have taken and passed both exams in Cagayan de Oro City.
V. THE ESKWELA PROJECT ESTABLISHED COMMUNITY E-LEARNING CENTERS FOR THE OUT-OF-SCHOOL YOUTH AND ADULTS AND PERSONS WITH DIABILITIES
The eSkwela Project, a word play on the Filipino equivalent of "school", is a flagship project of the Commission on Information and Communications Technology (CICT), envisioned to provide ICT-enhanced educational opportunities for Filipino out-of-school youth and adults. It likewise aims to help reduce the digital divide and enhance the capacity of these individuals to be successful participants in a global and knowledge-based economy. The initiative responds directly to a national development priority and will bring e-learning opportunities and ICT for learning resources to mobile teachers and out-of-school learners in the Philippines in an exciting, innovative, and locally meaningful way.
eSkwela Centers have been put up in four (4) pilot sites, namely: Quezon City, San Jose del Monte, Cebu City, and Cagayan de Oro City. Recipient communities will be provided with 21-unit networked computers, relevant peripherals, Internet connectivity for one year, educators' training, content, and a customized learning management system.
CICT-HCDG has likewise partnered the Bureau of Alternative Learning Systems of the Department of Education, various State Universities and Colleges (SUCs), local governments, DepEd Divisions, non-government and civic groups, and communities to make education interactive, appealing, relevant, enriching, and readily available for Filipino out-of-school youth and adults.
VI. SAN REMIGIO: AN E-MUNICIPALITY
After completing one of his PCA courses in 2009, Engr. Romarico Cabellon sought to implement the output he and other scholars came up with---- the concept of a Wireless Barangays in the Municipality of San Remigio. The objective of the project is to interconnect the municipal hall and the barangay offices of San Remigio.
In response to the challenge of connectivity in the barangays, the Community eCenter (CeC) of San Remigio utilized Blue Media technology, made possible through the Central Visayas Information Sharing Network Foundation, Inc. (CVISNET), to connect 27 barangays in San Remigio. The initial facilities consisting of two towers to transmit the Blue Media technology media - were set up on November 11, 2010.
VII. TELECENTR.ORG'S DIGITAL LITERACY CAMPAIGN FOR WOMEN
The Commission on Information and Communications Technology (CICT) launched the "Philippine Digital Literacy Campaign for Women", a global campaign for women empowerment. The campaign is an on-going crusade to train and equip 10,000 Filipino women from the poor and marginalized communities with basic ICT skills and proficiencies specifically on functional digital literacy. The campaign will allow Filipino women to explore and reach their highest potential as women in the digital information age. The campaign is implemented by the CICT together with its partners, the Philippine Community eCenter Network (PhilCeCNet) and the Telecentre.org Foundation. Campaign champions have been identified to serve as main driving force behind the campaign. Through the campaign champions the campaign will be brought down to the grassroots particularly focusing on women in local communities. The campaign champions are women ambassadors, whose life have been changed for the better as a result of embracing ICT.
VIII. BASIC AND CUSTOMIZED INTERNET LITERACY COURSE FOR RURAL WOMEN
CICT piloted the implementation of the Basic and Customized Internet Literacy Course for Rural Women, a project which taps the potential of ICT to provide women in rural areas with accessibility tools to promote their local livelihood. Aside from the provision of access points, the project further aims train women in the rural communities on the use, application and services of ICT as a vehicle for improving their social and economic conditions.The project has been piloted in the CeCs of Bato, Leyte and Binalonan, Pangasinan in the Philippines. The program will be replicated as a training tool in other Philippine CeCs. - https://www.affordablecebu.com/
