News

SAS Targets 125 Schools in SY 2004-2005

This School Year 2004-2005, SAS Foundation is scheduled to implement the Reading Program in 125 public elementary schools throughout the Philippines. The new project sites include the Cities of Balanga (Bataan) and the Municipality of Aliaga (Nueva Ecija) in partnership with UBS, and some 16 other municipalities in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao under the Coca Cola Foundation’s Little Red Schoolhouse Project. Jollibee Foods Corporation is sponsoring 50 public schools in the Cities of Naga (Camarines Sur) and Baguio (CAR).

About 15 schools in the Mindanao region are also being identified as potential project areas, in cooperation with Petron Foundation, the Children’s Hour and the Asia Foundation. Four public schools in the National Capital Region will be recipients of the READiscovery Center, a multi-media children’s learning center with thousands of books, manipulatives, games and state-of-the-art equipment. This is in partnership with the HSBC, specifically through the HSBC-SAS READiscovery Program.
Last 21-23 May 2004, a Teacher Training Workshop was conducted for 32 principals and multi-grade teachers under the Little Red Schoolhouse Project. The schools are located in remote ares in the provinces of La Union, Ilocos Sur, Pangasinan, Nueva Vizcaya, Quezon, Sorsogon, Antique, Capiz, Aklan, Bohol, Samar, Southern Leyte, Maguindanao and Agusan del Sur.

The following weekend from 29-30 May 2004, a total of 46 fourth grade teachers and principals from 16 participating public schools in the City of Balanga became SAS reading advocates, after graduating from their two-day Teacher Training Workshop. Actively supporting the Reading Program implementation in the City of Balanga are the office of DepEd City Superintendent Raulito Moscoso and the office of Congressman-elect Abet Garcia.

For SY 2004 – 2005, about 35,000 Grade 4 public school students will be participating in the Reading Program. Over 500 teachers and principals are to be trained as reading advocates and some 35,000 brand new, value-laden storybooks will be distributed.