The Quezon City Government has raised about ₱13 Million cash donations in two months for its Learning Recovery Trust Fund.
As a former teacher and education advocate, Mayor Joy Belmonte pushed for the creation of the special fund to augment the budget for learning loss in public schools exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I really believe in my heart that education holds the key to bring our country upward. With this program, we are ensuring that all public school students are given the necessary learning tools and programs to strengthen their foundational reading and numeracy skills,” Mayor Belmonte said.
The donation was given by private organizations, individuals, and business groups, such as Rotary International District 3780, the Hiranand Group, the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry-Quezon City, and the QC Association of Filipino-Chinese Businessmen Inc.
Mayor Joy Belmonte also expressed her gratitude to the Quezon City Police District (QCPD) for their donation of ₱500,000.00 to the QC Learning Recovery Fund.
“By investing in education, we help address the present needs of our citizens. Through this initiative, we help in equipping students with academic skills that will later help them engage in nation-building, participate in conflict resolution, and contribute positively to society,” Gen. Torre said.
The District Director also emphasized the importance of working in partnership with a responsive and dedicated community towards building a peaceful and safer place to live.
The QC Learning Recovery Trust Fund, established through City Ordinance SP 3182 s. 2023, serves as a dedicated account for educational initiatives, promoting collaboration and shared commitment among education stakeholders.
Part of the initiative to help QC students in their learning recovery is the QC Tutoring Program, aimed at reducing non-readers and non-numerates in public schools.
In its pilot run, 58 students identified as non-readers from Commonwealth Elementary School and Bago Bantay Elementary School received high-dosage tutoring sessions for 8 weeks.
After participating in tutoring sessions, the students, who were once non-readers, demonstrated remarkable progress in their reading skills. They can now identify and pronounce letters, read frequently used words, comprehend short passages, and understand basic texts.
This year, the city government is targeting to enroll 5,000 students into the program, and for the next two years, the local government aims to improve the skills of 50,000 QC public school learners.
In order to gather more funds for the program, QC recently launched the Kilo/s Kyusi Store which put on sale pre-loved and never-been-used merchandise donated from employees of QC hall departments, the City’s elected officials, and various partner organizations. The sales generated from the week-long bazaar reached more than ₱1 Million.
To further the movement, the local government calls for all interested donors. Any amount can be donated through the City’s Learning Recovery Fund Land Bank of the Philippines – Account No.: LBP 1722-1032-42.
For more information, email education@quezoncity.gov.ph
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