By
Rene V. Carbayas
ISABELA
CITY, Basilan - One hundred one out-of-school youth (OSY) here
have reclaimed the chance of a better life after completing their literacy and
skills training last Jan. 13.
Speaking
on behalf of the graduates, Bea Ellaine Quicho of Lower Lanote Barangay of this
city, shared her predicaments in pursuing higher education that despite
economic hardships, her parents had continued encouraging and supporting her.
“When
my parents told me that I can’t proceed to college, it was hard to accept but
it was not a surprise for me because I knew it they cannot afford [to support
my studies],” she explained. Having five other siblings, she had no choice but to help her
parents first.
“I
was helpless and it really bothered me. While my former classmates are excited
about their coming college life, I was busy helping my parents at home and
taking care of my brother with cerebral palsy,” she said.
Quicho
said that she could not blame anyone for her status in life. But she felt that
she could still do something about her situation, especially when she learned
the offer of the Nagdilaab Foundation to provide skills training to OSY.
“I
was hesitant at first, but my parents had encouraged me. I felt more comfortable
when our life skills were honed and eventually enjoyed it,” she said.
While
attending the food processing training and learning cooking skills, Quicho said
that her biggest gain was learning how to mingle with other people and develop
her self-confidence. She thanked the USAID Mindanao Youth for Development
(MYDev) program for this opportunity.
Youth as the hope of
the nation
Kevin
Corbin, Chief of Party of EDC MYDev affirms the exhortation of Philippine
National Hero Dr. Jose Rizal that “the youth are the hope of the nation and in
this part of the country, the hope of Mindanao and the Philippines.”
He
noted the role of government agencies and private sectors in making peace,
stability, and economic growth a reality in the region by supporting the
youths’ aspiration for a better life ahead.
Meanwhile,
Robert Burch, Director of the Office of Education, USAID/Philippines-TBC was honored
to have visited this city for the third time.
“I
feel proud today to be able to stand in front of this group and recognize the
accomplishments of the out-of-school youth that they have made through this
training program,” he said.
Burch
cited the significant presence of young people, as they comprise the majority,
which spells the kind of future in store for the world.
“You
[the OSYs] are a part of a very important demographic. More than half of the
world’s population is under the age of 30. And the youth today have many
opportunities compared to the youths of the past. You have access to the
internet. You are the most energetic group that we have in the world. You have
new ideas. You have a future ahead of you and you are the future of the
Philippines,” Burch said as he also recognized the many difficulties and challenges
the youth are also facing today, especially quality education and jobs.
This
is why, Burch said, the US and the Philippine governments have looked for ways
to provide opportunities to the OSY in Isabela City and other parts of Mindanao
to capacitate and provide them with new knowledge and skills with positive
attitude to help them find employment and become leaders in the community.
Some
80 OSYs completed the Basic Literacy Program with the Alternative Learning
System (ALS) of the Department of Education (DepEd) and 21 others completed the
TESDA course on food processing NC-II.
These
OSYs came from the barangays of Small Kapatagan, Tabiawam, Carbon, Diki, and
Kapatagan Grande.
