The city government of Makati on Wednesday announced it has allocated P1.56 billion to fund public schools in the city and other education and youth development programs.
Mayor Abigail Binay said education has remained one of the top priorities of the city government, as the amount will fund programs, services and innovations across all levels in the city’s public schools.
Speaking at the 2017 National Convention of the Association of Local Colleges and Universities at the University of Makati, Binay committed to provide quality education that is “accessible and highly relevant” to the youth of Makati.
“This year, we have allocated P1.56 billion for Youth, Culture and Education Services. Fifty-three percent, or P824.91 million, will go to UMak programs and operations,” she said.
Binay also asked UMak president and concurrent ALCU head Tomas Lopez to study opening two new courses at the university to address the need for more social workers and emergency medical technicians and paramedics.
“I am proposing that the university open a two-year certificate course on Social Work that will eventually lead to a bachelor’s degree, because our country needs more social workers,” Binay said.
She also urged the UMak administration to consider opening an EMT Paramedic course, considering the worsening impact of climate change not only on Makati but the entire country.
“We ought to be more responsive and train more EMTs and paramedics to address the growing need for highly capable emergency and disaster response personnel,” the mayor said.
Binay said her administration will provide UMak with adequate funding to promote more innovative programs and curriculum enhancement, and strengthen partnership with the private sector to increase the employability of UMak graduates.
“Today’s industries and enterprises are largely driven by technology. We need to make sure that students of our public schools would possess skills tailor-fit to the demands of the job market,” she said.
“We will continue upgrading our facilities and providing free school supplies, books and uniforms, and other needs of our schoolchildren. We will strengthen connectivity through internet facilities in our public schools, and make sure that each Makati student receives cutting-edge and relevant education, at no cost to them or their parents,” she added.
The mayor also vowed to continue supporting and improving the K to 12 program, which she considered “crucial to the empowerment of the youth.”
In 2012, UMak pioneered the implementation of the Department of Education’s K to 12 program in the National Capital Region, and two years later produced the largest first batch of graduates of senior high school in the country. Today, K to 12 is fully implemented in seven more public schools of Makati.
Other guest speakers at the ALCU Convention included Rep. Ann Hofer, chairman of the House Committee on Higher and Technical Education; Mayor Philip Tan of Tangub City; Mayor Arman Panaligan of Calapan City; and Dr. Patricia Licuanan, chairperson of the Commission on Higher Education.
Through UMak, the country’s first ISO-certified local university, quality tertiary education has been made accessible to all, including children from poor families in the city. The city government has invested billions in modernizing its facilities and expanding its course offerings to keep abreast of prevailing trends in the workplace.
