Masbate Schools Get Revved Up With Genyo

In these places, high tech learning reached them before paved roads did.

Seven remote schools from Masbate are on their way to 21^st century learning as they recently received the e-learning management program called Genyo.

The donation is part of a partnership agreement between Diwa Learning Systems, Bato Balani Foundation (BBFI) and Gearing Up Internet Literacy and Access for Students (GILAS), which will benefit 300 public schools all over the country.

Masbate School of Fisheries of Milagros, Mobo National High School of Mobo, Santos E. Conag National High School from Esperanza, Rondida Atendida National High School, Villahermosa National High School of Cawayan, Marintoc National High School of Mobo and Malbug High School of Cawayan now have Genyo Version 3 installed in their computers.

Students can now learn their Science, Math, English, Filipino and Aralin Panlipunan using Genyo’s interactive and dynamic multimedia components such as video and audio clips, colorful graphics, charts and animations, interactive simulations and challenging exercises and quizzes.

Despite Typhoon Feria, which made reaching these schools even more difficult, and which also caused damage to some of the school’s computers, Diwa installation and teacher training commenced. The team walked hours, braving Masbate’s terrain, harsh weather and landslides to make ICT accessible even to the most remote schools.

One of the schools, Villahermosa National High School didn’t have electricity and was using generator set powered by water pump. Unfortunately, during the installation week, the water pump conked up so the school principal had to borrow from the next barangay, another 1.5 kilometer away from the school.

Aside from these, educational materials in the form of scholastic enhancement magazines and textbooks were also donated by BBFI to enhance the physical libraries of the schools.

GILAS is a multi-sectoral initiative composed of corporations and concerned non-profit institutions that aid public high school students in the battle towards modernization. BBFI is a non-stock, non-profit private foundation serving as the social development arm of Diwa Learning Systems. Diwa Learning Systems is the country's leader in ICT integrated education, currently celebrating its 25th year.