Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 19) – Close to 400 students will benefit from an online initiative by a group of individuals to raise funds for gadgets they need for the virtual blended learning modules amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
As of Tuesday, the Ayuda Pang-Eskwela Facebook group has raised ₱1.8 million to support the computer needs of some 384 students.
The group’s founder Diane Reyes shared to CNN Philippines’ Rico Hizon that she thought of the initiative when she saw many students in Twitter appealing for financial support for their laptops or other gadgets needed in the blended learning mode of classes.
“As a donor, it’s a barrier for me to trust this platform where I don’t know who the beneficiaries are and where my money will go,” said Reyes of the group, which she set up last August 1 and now has almost 8,000 members.
Reyes added the Ayuda Pang-Eskwela online group is helping some teachers who also need gadgets.
She assured prospective donors that the breakdown of the donated funds is posted in an album of the Facebook group for accountability purposes.
“We really want to make an impact to these individuals, these children, these students,” explained Reyes as she appealed for more donors to help more students secure gadgets for the online classes.
Reyes also warned to search for the official Ayuda Pang-Eskwela group as many fake Facebook groups with the same name have proliferated.
The Department of Education has disallowed the usual face-to-face classes for the upcoming 2020-21 academic year to contain the spread of COVID-19. Instead, it is implementing a “blended” mode of learning which utilizes the Internet, radio, or television in organizing learning discussions.
DepEd recently announced the new opening of classes will be on October 5, from the previous date of August 24.
