Australia helps Bohol ‘Build back better’ (Business Mirror)
The first anniversary of the 7.2magnitude earthquake that struck Bohol on October 15, 2013, approaches, Australian Ambassador Bill Tweddell returned to the province last week to launch the “Abot Alam” program for outofschool (OSY) youth, turn over 40,000 books under the Books for Asia program, lead groundbreaking ceremonies for the construction of classrooms under the Basic Education Sector Transformation (BEST) program and conduct site inspection of rehabilitated roads under the Provincial Road Management Facility (PRMF).
“The Australian government has a longstanding development partnership with the province of Bohol, spanning more than 20 years. We are here for the long haul and are pleased to assist Bohol in ‘building back better’,” Tweddell said during his meeting with Bohol Gov. Edgar M. Chatto, Education Secretary Bro. Armin Luistro and National Youth Commission (NYC) Chairman Gregorio Ramon A. Tingson and Commissioner Jose Sixto “Dingdong” Dantes III. The Department of Education and NYC are the prime proponents of Abot Alam, an interagency convergence effort targeting OSY in the Philippines. The initiative aims to map OSY and enroll them in appropriate program interventions in education, entrepreneurship and employment. Bohol is among the first provinces that will be implementing the program.
Tweddell will also be formally turning over 40,000 new reading books for public elementary schools in Bohol that have been donated under the Books for Asia program of the Australian embassy and The Asia Foundation.
This gift will help augment learning resources in 250 public elementary schools.
Recognizing the role of the private sector as the primary driver of economic growth and poverty reduction, Australian aid for Bohol is also bringing in privatesector engagement. Through a joint project with the Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP) and the DepEd, a threeclassroom building will be constructed at the San Miguel Central Elementary School in San Miguel, Bohol.
This steps up PBSP’s Bayanihang Pampaaralan campaign, with the Australian government providing A$15 million funding through the BEST program. Under BEST, nine classrooms in Bohol will be built over a fivemonth period. Australia continues to be the Philippines’s lead bilateral grant donor in basic education, with annual funding of over A$50 million.
Australia was among the primary responders to Bohol’s call for relief, recovery and reconstruction following last year’s earthquake. It provided P366 million (A$9 million) for immediate assistance.
Among the first aid provided was a postquake assessment of worst affected local roads that provided vital access to basic social and economic services. This rapid assessment of critical provincial roads and other infrastructure was undertaken by the Bohol provincial government, which worked alongside the Australian governmentfunded PRMF as part of its efforts to get the province on the road to recovery.
A total of 118.56 kilometers of roads are currently part of the rehabilitation and minor improvement physicalworks portfolio of PRMF.
In April 20i4, five months after the earthquake struck, a delegation from the Australian parliament visited the province to observe recovery efforts being undertaken.
“Our development partnerships in Bohol illustrate the depth and breadth of the bilateral relationship between Australia and the Philippines. We are very glad to contribute to Bohol’s efforts toward not just recovery, but a vision of a brigh future,” Tweddell added.
Source: BusinessMirror, p. B4, October 12, 2014