As a demonstration of their commitment to education and community development, on April 6, 2024, chaplains from the Philippine-U.S. Military Joint Operations Task Force led an interfaith prayer service at Butas na Bato Elementary School, celebrating A bunch of “bundles'' were delivered. Balikatan 24 Provided to students as part of pre-exercise activities.
The bundle of joy provided consists of three 55-inch televisions, four laptops, two printers, and other classroom materials to enhance students' learning experiences and develop digital literacy. It aims to empower a generation of learners to improve and prepare for the future.
“This is going to have a huge impact on our students and educators,” said Mary Grace Pineda, principal at Butas na Bato Elementary School. “This allows us to continue providing high-quality education.”
Butas na Bato Primary School, with its 135 students, supports a local community where many parents work in a variety of labor-intensive occupations such as fishing, carpentry and fruit picking. Mary Grace Pineda, who has taught here for 12 years, has witnessed former students return as parents.
“The long-term goal is to eliminate illiteracy and prevent early pregnancy,” Pineda said. “It is important to teach parents to value education and engage in activities and other initiatives with their children.”
The event was also attended by barangay councilors and religious leaders and highlighted the collaborative efforts of the Civil-Military Joint Operations Task Force and local community leaders.
“This is a reminder that when we come together, we can achieve great things,” said Philippine Army Maj. Marlo Laxalam, AFP Special Operations Command chaplain.
Echoing this sentiment, Lt. Mark Weather, chaplain with the U.S. Navy Joint Civil-Military Operations Task Force, said, “Today we are reminded that faith and spirituality transcend all boundaries of language, culture, and nationality. ” he said.
Recognizing the educational challenges facing Butas na Bato Primary School, Mr. Pineda emphasized the importance of the donated technology, especially in science education.
“I can show students how the heart works on video,” Pineda said. “It's better than just talking. Now they can see your heart completely.”
This bundle of joy was delivered as the first of five schools during the Balikatan 24 Humanitarian Citizen Assistance Mission. Balikatan 24 is an annual exercise between the Philippine and U.S. militaries aimed at strengthening the interoperability, capabilities, trust, and cooperation between the two countries built through decades of shared experience.
Obtained data: | April 5, 2024 |
Post date: | April 9, 2024 22:50 |
Story ID: | 468196 |
position: | PH |
Web view: | 14 |
download: | 0 |
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This work, Empowering education: AFP, US pastor's gift for classroom technology at Dingalan Elementary Schoolby 2LT James Estioridentified by DVIDSsubject to the restrictions set forth at https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.