CALAPAN CITY, Oriental Mindoro (PIA) — The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) will be working with the school divisions of Puerto Princesa City, Palawan, and Occidental Mindoro to expand the Advancing Basic Education (ABC+) program this year.
In a message with PIA MIMAROPA, the U.S. Embassy in the Philippines, through its Information Office, Public Affairs Section, said “We will be working with the school divisions of Puerto Princesa City, Palawan, and Occidental Mindoro. More detailed information on the funding allocation and number of learning materials will be available after consultations with the Department of Education and other stakeholders conclude in December 2024.”
On October 2, the United States government announced an additional P485 million in funding to expand the ABC+ project, which aims to improve the literacy and mathematics skills of children in the Philippines.
According to USAID, with total funding of P2.6 billion, ABC+ will now extend its reach to new regions, including selected areas in the National Capital Region (NCR), MIMAROPA Region, Cordillera Administrative Region, and Region XII.
The additional funding will provide 900,000 new books and learning materials, benefiting an additional 350,000 students and bringing the total number of students to 2.8 million.
“We are focusing on strengthening students’ foundational skills, especially for those students who are struggling with reading. Just as with learning to read, we are taking a team approach—advancing step by step, word by word, teacher by teacher, student by student, to open possibilities for Filipino youth,” U.S. Ambassador MaryKay Carlson said during the commemoration of the ABC+ program in Malabon City.
Carlson led the handover of K-3 books to the Schools Division Office of Malabon City, one of the project’s new expansion areas, along with Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara, Malabon City Mayor Jeannie Sandoval, officials from DepEd NCR, DepEd MIMAROPA, and representatives of schools division offices in Malabon, Marikina, and Pasig City.
“The United States is committed to working with the Philippines to provide a quality education that empowers children to enjoy a successful future,” Carlson added.
“There is so much to be thankful for—the USAID ABC+ project has been successful in improving the capacities of our learners, and we want to expand it using the resources of the DepEd in the same way, with the same quality, the same measurability, and the same rigor that ABC+ has provided. I see not just thousands of learners blooming, but millions of learners blooming because of these contributions,” Angara said.
USAID said that the ABC+ project aims to build on its successful track record in the new regions. “USAID has been working with DepEd through the ABC+ project to strengthen teacher professional development, improve the availability and use of learning resources, bolster the capacity of the education system, and support effective early grade instruction.” (AS/PIA MIMAROPA)
