Balamban Launches “Abot-Alam” Program

(PIA) — Balamban town in Cebu empowers out of school youths (OSY) by adopting the “Abot-Alam” program and launched it aiming for zero OSY in the country by the 2016.

Department of Education (DepEd) and the Local Government Unit of Balamban through its Alternative Learning System (ALS) initiated the launching of the program.

ALS association-Cebu division president Gerardo Panugaling said “Abot-Alam” has two phases. First it includes locating the OSY’s in the barangays and placing them into a System.

The second phase is the Reintegration program which will immerse the OSY in the communities through programs and services offered by the DepEd, Technical Education Skills and Development Administration (TESDA), Public Employment Services Office (PESO) and other partner agencies.

Balamban Mayor Ace Stefan Binghay said the purpose of this undertaking is to open the portal for the out-of-school youth to education and employment.

“It can be of great help to young people who have dropped out of school, those who never finish schooling, or have finished only elementary or high school level. In this way unemployment problem would be minimized,” he said.

Balamban Sangguniang Bayan Education Committee Chair Atty. Jiembo Borgonia said his office will find ways to allocate budget for the survey to gather data of the OSY in every barangay of the town.

Balamban Community Training chair and PESO manager Merlita Mila assures the office will facilitate special skills training to the OSYs that would lead to employment.

Barangay captains of the 28 barangays and their respective Education Committee Chairpersons, 11 secondary school administrators, all elementary schools principals/Teachers in Charge, PESO, TESDA and other representatives from different agencies joined the launching of “Abot-Alam” program.

The National Youth Commission with the DepEd pushed the “Abot-Alam” Program in 2014. This is a national strategy to organize efforts in integrating programs for OSY with the vision of providing them opportunity for education, career and employment. (mbcn/fcc/PIA7-Cebu/with reports from Alberto S. Arcilla/DepEd Balamban)