Hinterland schools benefit from ONCAN, Army partnership

From the Philippine Information Agency (Mar 2): Hinterland schools benefit from ONCAN, Army partnership

The Oriental Negros Children’s Advocacy Network (ONCAN) together with the Philippine Army have served 70 elementary schools in the hinterland barangays in the province under its “Bayanihan Para sa Kabataan” (BPK) project.

In its seventh year of serving school children,  ONCAN esident Marrieta “Baby” Jambora it started in 2009 from medical mission for children at risk into monthly ‘Lakbay Aral’ for Grades 5 and 6 pupils, then lately school visits for Children’s Environmental Campaign.

Jambora said the group recently conducted the campaign in Salingkubong Elementary School, Tayak, Siaton with a series of lectures on environmental concerns, anti-child labor, anti-human trafficking, crime prevention, and peace symposium with Christian values.

Some 17 member non-government organizations (NGOs) of ONCAN offer food as well as school supplies to school children after every environmental campaign, said Jambora.

In its early years of BPK, Jambora said they conducted a series of ‘Bayanihan Para sa Kabataan Lakbay-Aral,’ an education tour program to show the children from mountain barangays how life is in the urban city of Dumaguete.

The Lakbay-Aral aimed to widen the horizon of school children from the hinterlands and create a positive outlook in life by exposing them to places and events outside their communities.
 
The activity also promotes education to the community as a key to a brighter future and strengthen the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) partnership with the various stakeholders in the province.

The grades 5 and 6 pupils are accompanied by their teachers and school principal on board the military service vehicles to the city’s different landmarks.

Visiting Army General Manuel Ochotorena said these kind of activities need the concerted efforts and convergence of all stakeholders to finally put an end to insurgency through peaceful means under the military’s implementation of its Internal Peace and Security Plan (IPSP) Bayanihan.

Lately, the AFP awarded ONCAN for its contribution to the success of counterinsurgency project “Bayanihan”.

Jambora received the plaque of recognition.

On March 10, ONCAN in cooperation with the Army and Philippine National Police will award six elementary schools from mountain barangays for supporting Children’s Environmental Campaign activities at 10 a.m. at the Session Hall of Capitol Building, this city.

http://news.pia.gov.ph/article/view/1111456901912/hinterland-schools-benefit-from-oncan-army-partnership