The City of Tagum under the leadership of Mayor Rey T. Uy, relaunched its City Literacy Coordinating Council Skilled Workers English Enhancement Program (SWEEP) and IELTS Review for Skilled workers on January 31, 2011 at UM Tagum College, Tagum City. The graduates in this community- based training will have a chance to work here and abroad.
One of the guests during the launch was Dr. Norma L. Salcedo of the Literacy Coordinating Council. Speaking before a group, she acknowledged and thanked the participants in the recently-concluded National Literacy Conference and Awards held last September 8-11, 2010 in Baguio Teachers Camp, Baguio City for their continuous support and participation. She also congratulated Tagum City for winning 1st Place in the 2010 National Literacy Awards, Outstanding Local Government Unit Category, Component City under the leadership of Mayor Rey T. Uy. She commended Mayor Uy for continuously supporting literacy programs in their City.
Mayor Uy focuses on iteracy programs not only focusing on basic literacy but also functional literacy. This demonstrates how a local government can provide for the development of functional literacy.
Dr. Saceldo emphasized in her message that the challenges in society today and in the future require that the competencies of educated Filipinos should not be merely restricted to reading, writing, comprehension and numeracy skills which alone may not be sufficient to insure that they will function effectively in their immediate and gradually expanding community and in the rapidly changing world.
She stress that “Globalization has dramatically altered structures in the world of work. In our globalized world, the competitiveness of national economies and enterprises depends, in a large measure, on a highly skilled workforce that can respond effectively and efficiently to changing work processes. An essential part of such processes is ICT. This requires continuous adjustment on account of evolving hardware and software, modern communication and the immediacy of information on the internet. As the knowledge and skills of workers are regularly updated and expanded, more advanced knowledge of ICT becomes a must. Such new and changing demands require appropriate and periodically updated training. Akin to the demands of rapid economic development, globalization requires appropriate and periodically updated training. Such catchwords as “lifelong learning” and “learning-on-demand” would appropriately describe the kind and extent of training needed. The training may heavily lean on ICT and may incorporate e-learning and mobile learning.”
According to her “A global environment is participative, consultative and decentralized. This means that the Filipino as a global citizen will need to behave in a more democratic and consultative manner. Greater public access to new information technology needs to be provided to give the public greater opportunities to participate and provide occasions for continuing dialogue and consultation. The kind of literacy needed in a global environment is the ability to be responsive and flexible, because times change and even occurrences that we do not anticipate do happen. The school through the curriculum, should teach the Filipino learner to be continually responsive or to even go beyond what is prescribed to be an effective member of society.”
Pledge of Commitment were given by Dir. Fely Rabaca, School Director; Hon Nicanor T. Suaybagui, Jr ., CLCC Co-Chairmperson; and Ms. Nenita E. Lumaad, School Division Superintendent. Mayor Uy gave words of challege for his city to achieve functional literacy for all.