Asia Foundation Bookmarks Php 14M For Capiz Schools

by BIENVENIDO CORTES

The schools division superintendents of Roxas City and Capiz province headed by Dr. Jesse Gomez and Dr. Eveleth Gamboa, respectively, are recipients of more than 50,000 books titles to be distributed to more than 500 accredited public/private elementary and secondary schools, colleges and state/private universities.

This is disclosed by Past District Governor Ike S. Altavas recently. According to Altavas, the Kiwanis Book Bank Program of Kiwanis International which he heads as District Committee Chair together with D. Steven Rood, Country Representative of Asia Foundation and Efren Balajadia, Director, Books for Asia Philippines, will turn over the books to all school principals in a formal turnover ceremony slated at the Capiz Gymnasium, Villareal Stadium, Roxas City on Thursday morning, September l6, 20l0.

Capiz Gov. Victor A. Tanco will give a brief remark in behalf of the provincial government during the "Books for Asia Turnover Ceremonies." This is a laudable program aimed at providing a big boost to one of the province’s "Pag-ulikid" Development Plan to improve readership among schoolchildren, improve their literacy skills as part of its primary aim to provide quality education.

Ike Altavas pointed out that the Kiwanis Books Bank Program through a network of Kiwanis Clubs in the Visayas and Mindanao has partnered with the Asia Foundation since 2004 distributing books "hands on" to the remotest village schools and child-learning centers of Southern Philippines.

The Asia Foundation packs the book bundles in small boxes delivered to schools by Kiwanians through a doable process of selection, delivery, evaluation and monitoring. It’s a sustaining program to start off building mini-libraries in selected schools.

The book providers believe that sharing books to children to become lifelong readers shall prepare them academically as better learners and builds today their hopes and dreams for bright future. Kiwanis says books like little children are real big treasures.
Free books will be distributed to schools in Capiz province and Roxas City Schools Divisions, Department of Education worth some Php 14 million. This program will boost readership among school children and students according to Past District Governor Ike S. Altavas. The schools division heads are Dr. Eveleth Gamboa of the province and Dr. Jesse Gomez of the city.

Dr. Steven Rood, Country Representative of the Asia Foundation will deliver the keynote address, while Past District Governor and chairman of the Kiwanis Book Bank Program will give a brief remark during the event named as "BOOKS for ASIA TURNOVER CEREMONIES’ to be held at the Capiz Gym, Villareal Stadium, Roxas City with the presence of other local officials and guests. /MP