VIRAC, Catanduanes (PIA) — The Department of Information and Communication Technology (DICT) on Thursday, Feb. 8, turned over 100 tablet computers to the Department of Education’s (DepEd) Schools Division Office in Catanduanes.
The gadgets will be given to teachers of the Alternative Learning System (ALS) in the island province.
DICT Catanduanes officer-in-charge Mario John Gonzales and Catanduanes Rep. Eulogio Rodriguez led the turnover and handed the computer units to Amelia Cabrera, ALS coordinator in Catanduanes.
Gonzales said the ALS teachers and learners will be oriented and trained on cyber security and cyber threats to ensure that the gadgets are utilized properly.
Rep. Eulogio R. Rodriguez (fifth from left) and DICT Catanduanes Provincial Director Mario John D. Gonzales (4th from right) lead the turnover ceremony of the tablets for ALS learners on February 8, 2023 at DepEd Catanduanes. (EABagadiong)
Rodriguez, who asked DICT to allocate some of its tablets for Catanduanes during the budget deliberations in 2022, lauded the DICT for looking after the education sector in the province.
On the other hand, Cabrera expressed her gratitude to DICT and Rep. Rodriguez for “championing” ALS.
ALS teacher Charles Perez said the program mirrored the Marcos administration’s resolve to fill up the digital technology learning gaps.
Marvin Tapiana, ALS learner in the capital town of Virac, expressed his gratitude to DICT, DepEd and the congressional office of Rodriguez, saying the gadgets “meant a lot” to him.
The ALS is a program under the DepEd that offers out-of-school youth and adults a chance to acquire basic literacy and complete basic education. Serving as a practical alternative to formal education, ALS combines both non-formal and informal learning methods.
For the school year 2024-2025, there are 8,234 enrollees in ALS in Catanduanes. (PIA 5/Catanduanes)
