ABOITIZPOWER subsidiary Therma South Inc. (TSI) donated Information Communication Technology (ICT) kits to Binugao Central Elementary School (BCES) in Davao City on November 22. The turnover ceremony was attended by representatives from BCES, TSI, the Department of Education (DepEd), and the Barangay Council of Binugao.
“The teachers of BCES are now e-teachers. I am expecting an increase of performance and a decrease in absenteeism and dropout rate. Students will be eager to come into the classroom because of these ICT kits,” said Jonas Piore, DepEd senior education program supervisor.
The ICT kit included one desktop-computer unit, one projector and one projector screen. All 24 classrooms of BCES received one kit each.
The ICT integration began in May when TSI partnered with the University of Mindanao to conduct basic Microsoft Office skills training with 24 BCES homeroom teachers.
“This donation has made teaching easier. Children are more attentive and behaved. BCES is one of the first public schools to acclimate to ICT integration,” said Jayreen Pabi, former principal III of BCES.
“The students are more interested in going to class. They don’t want to be absent. Even during recess, they hardly go out because they want to stay inside to watch videos,” said Adela Gajeras, a mother of two students in BCES.
“Your help has gone a long way with the improvement of our school because of this donation that we’ll use in our learnimg,” Grade 5 pupil Maria Althea Abis said as she observed the changes in her school since it began its ICT integration.
TSI hopes that, with this ICT turnover, the young and usually impoverished students of its community will be given a chance for a better future, through modernizing teaching techniques and encouraging them to stay in school.
“Public schools have always been close to my heart because I am a product of a public-school myself. I wouldn’t be a plant manager if it weren’t for my public-school teachers. We need to be updated because this is a new age. These students are our future,” said TSI Vice President and Plant Manager Valentin S. Saludes III.
AboitizPower is the holding company for the Aboitiz Group’s investments in power-generation, distribution and retail-electricity services.
The company is one of the largest power producers in the Philippines with a right-mix portfolio of assets located across the country. It is a major producer of Cleanergy, its brand for clean and renewable energy with several hydroelectric and geothermal power-generation facilities. It also has various fossil-fired power plants in its generation portfolio to support the baseload and peak energy demands of the country.
The company also owns distribution utilities that operate in high-growth areas in Luzon, the Visayas, and Mindanao, including the second- and third-largest private utilities in the country.