COTABATO CITY, May 30 (PIA) -- It’s all systems go for the Departments of Education (DepEd) and Interior and Local Government (DILG) in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) for the conduct of the 2012 National Literacy Award (NLA) search.
Republic Act 10122 series of 2009 known as “An Act Strengthening the Literacy Coordinating Council by Amending Republic Act No. 7165 Otherwise Known as “An Act Creating the Literacy Coordinating Council, Defining Its Powers and Functions, Appropriating Funds Therefor and for Other Purposes” provides DepEd as chair, DILG, PNU, PIA and NEDA as Council members.
Launched in 2009, the Award aims to recognize and honor best practices for implementing literacy programs/projects which help alleviate poverty, provide livelihood, address welfare needs promote freedom and access education facilities thereby contribute to the realization of the goal of universalizing literacy in the country.
The NLA search consists of two categories namely the Outstanding Literacy Award which is given to a literacy program implemented by a civil society group, non-government organization, private organization or educational/academic institution which has positive impact on learners and the community; and Outstanding Local Government Unit (LGU) Award for highly urbanized city, component city, component independent city, first to third class municipalities and fourth to sixth class towns which have developed policies, programs and projects conducive to literacy development and which have efficaciously made a positive impact on their barangays and the people’s quality of life.
A meeting on the orientation on the revised criteria and guidelines for the 2012 NLA selection process was held yesterday May 29,where DepEd-ARMM Assistant Secretary for Special Concerns Maisarah Latiph expressed keen interest in launching the activity in the autonomous region for the first time.
Sharing the same enthusiasm was co-chair DILG-ARMM Assistant Secretary Sharif Pearisia Dans who expressed belief that the activity would boost the advocacy to improve access to education through partnerships with civil society groups, non-government organizations and local government units citing the need for collaborative efforts to raise the region’s low literacy rate
The Comparative Results of Functional Literacy, Education and Mass Media Survey (FLEMMS) show that literacy rate of ARMM as of 2008 is 71.6 per cent while its basic literacy rate is 81.5 per cent.
Considering time constraint and the start of fasting (Ramadhan) for the Muslim community on July 19, Latiph moved to set a timetable for the search with June 28, 2012 as the deadline for submission of entries to the Regional Selection Committee to give time for the committee to reconvene on July 2-6, July 9-13 for site visit for validation to be followed by the final deliberation on July 16.
Both Latiph and Dans assured full support to ensure success of the search as they noted existing and ongoing literacy programs of private groups and non-government organizations one of which is the Magbasa Tayo in the island provinces under ARMM.
Submission of regional entries to the national selection committee on July 17, 2012 while NLA awarding of winners is slated to highlight the celebration of National Literacy Week on September 17-21, this year, in Manila.(pbchangco/PIA Cotabato City)
