EMPOWERING WOMEN, GROWING EDUCATION CHAMPIONS!

“Righteous women who fulfill tremendous responsibilities given to them by God are great blessings to their families, to the Church and to the World”. Truly, women play an active and significant role in supporting family especially in livelihood. Women of yesterday were largely confined at home, but not of today. They can be developed and grow to be catalysts of development. Empowering and organizing them as volunteers especially in education will make them education champions.

Sense of volunteerism is an innate practice, almost like second skin to women. They are active volunteers in different undertakings such as health, nutrition and PWDs, but never in education. Although, they had been involved in different educational pursuits, this is the first time to organize women volunteers for education. And first for Libon.

This month of March in celebration of WOMANHOOD, honoring the diverse role of women in the society, the Local Government of Libon launched the Women Volunteers for Education as part of the BHEMM (Basic Higher Education Municipal Model) Project which sums up the local government’s initiatives for education. An Ad Hoc Committee and Core Group was organized from each barangay to assist the Local Government in the implementation and realization of this project.

Last March 24, 2009, Mayor Agnes P. Dycoco with the team from the Local Government formally launched the women volunteers for education (Kababaihang Maunlad ng Kosta) at Brgy. Pantao. She oriented the women volunteers on their task on how they can help in this endeavor. Likewise, the Local Government invited Dr. Nora L. Licup, dean of BU Graduate School, who is a doctoral professor in education as Guest of Honor to inspire the participants on their important role in the society. In her message she highlighted the declining performance of Filipino students in Mathematics and Science subjects as per the results of TIMMS survey conducted internationally. She emphasized that the family has a great influence in the total development of the child.

After the first launching at the Coastal League, on April 1, 2009, Kababaihang Maunlad ng Interior 8 forum followed at San Pascual High School. Similarly, team from the Local Government headed by Mayor Bem Dycoco oriented the women leaders from various Interior 8 barangays to serve as parent-leaders. Mayor Bem emphasized on her talk that the strongest weapon against poverty is education. Prof. Flor Andes Jenkin, Phd, Planning and Development Officer of Bicol University was invited as Guest. Her message focused on the true importance of education to mankind and how it can effect changes to their lives.

The third launch was held in Barangay Harigue, the Kababaihang Maunlad ng Six Hills (Harigue, Libtong, Villa Petrona, San Jose, Sampongan Malabiga). One of the leagues with the lowest participation rate in the elementary and secondary, the Mayor motivated them to help her and the LGU improve school performance of their children. Dr. Gay Palcon, and Director of Government’s PROJECT EQUAL was represented by Mrs. Lerma Camba, herself a retired teacher, now joining Dr. Palcon in her team. She was very appreciative of what Libon is doing. Project BHEMM is an integrated program by a Local Government offered in partnership to DepEd and the first one in Albay.

All barangays in these leagues will undertake their surveys (Click here for survey form) and complete them in one month. The Summary Reports will be used by the Local School Board in recommending appropriate solutions in terms of program interventions to enable school dropouts to go back to school, increase participation rate and improve school performance.

After all, who does not want a performing child in school? They are Libon’s best shot for a better future.

And women, who are mostly mothers, will go back to their basic function – nurturers and home teachers and be education-champions!