MANILA, Aug. 19 (PNA) — Recognizing the need for schools to invest on Information Technology (IT) development, the Department of Education (DepEd) is set to distribute around 19,000 IT computer packages to elementary schools with electricity within the year.
The DepEd has already been able to distribute 100 percent of its IT computer sets to 7,600 electrified high schools across the country while another 50 percent of 38,000 energized elementary schools have received IT packages.
“In fact, in high schools, the only ones that have not received IT packages are those that are unenergized. So all things being equal, I would propose that the first set [of computer package] go to those high schools because if we are able to work on partnership, then we could at least supply all the high schools with IT packages that we already have while we work on the other elementary schools. This year, we would be doing around 50 percent of the 38,000,” DepEd Secretary Armin Luistro said in a Memorandum of Agreement signing with Stiftung Solar Energy Foundation Tuesday.
Luistro has encouraged the said partner company to further tap the solar energy resource that could eventually power the unelectrified communities, especially schools which are poised to receive IT packages once their areas have become energized.
The deal between the Stiftung Solar Energy Foundation and DepEd is said to have encouraged the latter to include the off-grid communities with solar generators in the list of those areas to benefit from IT packages.
Luistro further shared about the pilot testing of Solar Energy Foundation in Antipolo City wherein students go to school powered by solar energy.
“The school now becomes the center of development of the whole community,” he stressed.
To date, procurement of the IT packages to be distributed is ongoing, Luistro said. (PNA)