Help Filipino Kids Learn Better &Survive Disasters

Ten months after Typhoon Haiyan—the strongest tropical cyclone of 2013 slammed across central Philippines, the island of Busuanga in northern Palawan is just beginning to recover. 

Grateful communities that have received food donations and roofing materials were able to repair homes and rebuild schools in the spirit of ‘bayanihan’—a Filipino tradition of working together for a common cause.  Even tourists have donated not only food but also their time in the reconstruction of isolated communities in this resort island.

With their homes devastated, the schools offer a refuge for the children while tourists lend a hand preparing food and carrying construction materials.

When Knowledge Channel arrived in the Municipality of Coron to conduct the first of a series of workshops for the school principals and teachers, we took the opportunity to visit some of the devastated schools.

We also had the opportunity to visit schools that previously received satellite cable TV equipment from donors thru Knowledge Channel Foundation Inc. only to find that the satellite dishes have been destroyed or blown off the roofs. 

One of the participants we interviewed, Ms. Chritine Rafols expressed how the Knowledge Channel satellite dish was able to help the students improve their grades. With the new materials that they received, she was very definite that the students performance will be sustained and further improve.

Despite the classroom situation, the students who were present at the demo teaching were bright and attentive during the lecture and Q&A.

Out of the 38 schools in Coron damaged during the typhoon, only 2 schools have received enough funds to build new classrooms.  Many still hold classes under tents donated by telecom companies.

LEEP Teacher Training was conducted for 15 schools. Each school sent a principal and two mater teachers who participated in the 3 day workshop on enhanced pedagogies in teaching disaster risk reduction and management concepts.  The training highlighted the use of media technology in learning as participants were exposed to the different materials of Knowledge channel in different subjects areas aligned with the K to 12 curriculum.  As a gift to the participants, each school received an external drive containing 450 materials (video, games and session guides) to complement their teaching materials. 

Knowledge Channel will be undertaking more teacher training this December with the hope of being able to eventually cover the whole island of Coron.  This was made possible through Knowledge Channel’s partnership with the Lopez Group Foundation Inc, Metrobank and through your continued support in Global Giving.