Education accented to fight poverty

BULUAN, Maguindanao --- The provincial government of Maguindanao will be providing arm chairs  and blackboards to schools in Maguindanao's 36 municipalities as a way of improving the learning environment of youngsters and motivating the clientele to embrace education in the process of human resource development.

Administrator Mohajeran Balayman made the announcement last August 13 during the Provincial Consultative Meeting at the Social Hall of the Provincial Capitol, where the issue on poverty was discussed with the mayors, barangay chairmen, concerned government line-agencies, and civil society organizations.

Giving emphasis on the provincial  governor’s  support to education and the need to augment the facilities of school sites, Balayman said the provincial government will provide  1,000 arm chairs and 20 blackboards to each municipality in the province.

The project is a partnership with the National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC) in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

In discussing poverty issue during the meeting, Yusoph Mohammad, regional director of the NAPC-BARMM, said it is important to ensure the full implementation of social reforms and poverty alleviation program.

"For many decades, countless aids have poured our region, yet we still belong to one of the poorest provinces," Mohammad said, adding that the problem should be properly addressed to cushion the impact of hardships haunting many of the constituents who are on the threshold.

Admittedly, the long decades of armed conflict and other instances of natural disasters have caused underdevelopment in the now Bangsamoro region, thus, curtailing the entry of the much wanted investments. Developers and investors, this recent, noted their preference on areas that are peaceful and secured and already developed “since these are good indicators for competition and business expansion.”

Governor Mangudadatu emphasized that  education  is one key to fight poverty since the learning process and skills development could be used as leverage for economic productivities, hence, this early “the youths should be equipped with the potentials for moving on better lives for themselves and their future families.”

"The provision of seats and blackboards in public schools only affirms our belief in supporting  the value of education. That it is one important instrument for poverty alleviation," Governor Mangudadatu said.

Previous studies indicate that well-furnished classroom facilities reinforce a conducive learning environment. Other factors are quality of education, provision of instructional materials and learning aids, teaching methodology, and good teacher-pupil rapport. (R.M. Tendero, Jr. with Gilmhar Lao & Anne Acosta) (R.M. Tendero, Jr. with Gilmhar Lao & Anne Acosta)