Information Hub project triumphs in Bataan

Fully computerized public high schools dubbed as Information Hub (iHub) Project was recently launched as it gained more support of various stakeholders in the province of Bataan.

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo launched the iHub Project which gives computer and internet access to high-school students of the province of Bataan.

The formal launching and distribution of Certificates of Access for computer under iHub was held at Mariveles National High School-Poblacion.

Through the initiatives of Representative Albert Garcia of the 2nd District of Bataan, 500 computer units, which include computer laptops, wi-fi routers, printers, and productivity tools and software, were distributed to 14 high schools in the province and will benefit the student population of 23,966 and a total teaching force of 769 teachers.

Garcia said the project aims to establish computer laboratories in all 14 public high schools in the province’s second district.

Garcia said the computer laboratories will have Internet connection available to the 20,000 high-school students, 1,000 high-school teachers, and members of the community in the second district.

He said massive information “can be quickly accessed from the Internet adding perhaps equivalent to the amount of information that could be taken from 10 skyscrapers filled with books, documents, and other information materials.”

Bataan Mayors Joet Garcia of Balanga City, Charlie Pizarro of Pilar, and Tonypeps Raymundo of Orion pledged full support for the project.

The mayors also said they will provide funds for the construction of computer laboratories in high schools and procurement of additional computers.

Earlier, Mayors Jessie Concepcion of Mariveles and Ramil del Rosario of Bagac also expressed their support to the iHub project as well as school principals, teachers and parents.

Garcia said his office has coordinated with the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company (PLDT) and Smart Communications, adding that the two firms pledged to provide discounts on Internet rates in high-school computer laboratories.

The Technical Education and Skills Authority (TESDA), on the other hand, has pledged to provide training on Information and Communications Technology (ICT) for 100 teachers while the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) office in Bataan also pledged to train two batches in ICT.

The President has recently signed Republic Act 9715, placing the 45-kilometer Mariveles-Bagac Road, the only unpaved perimeter road in the peninsula, eligible for funding by the national government. Ernie B. Esconde