BY VINCE JACOB VISAYA
TUGUEGARAO CITY- The Philippine National Police-Region 2 DepEd’s 3rd ACE BEN Awards (Agency Contribution for an Ennobling Basic Education towards Nation-building) bested fourteen other entries and won anew for the third straight time to receive a plaque of recognition and a ₱15,000 prize during the awarding rites at the DepEd regional office in Tuguegarao City on December 11 here.
Dr. Benjamin Paragas, DepEd-Cagayan Valley regional director, said the annual awarding event with the theme “Propelling Action and Understanding in DepEd Region 02: Towards Excellence in the Bagong Pilipinas” recognizes the significant contributions of regional line agencies and local government units to advancing basic education in the region.
The regional director lauded the influx of entries “which reflects the growing commitment of various agencies to support and enhance basic education.”
The event has been an avenue to strengthen partnerships among stakeholders and highlight innovative and impactful initiatives that contribute to the betterment of the education sector, he added.
The Philippine Information Agency-Cagayan Valley (PIA-R2) got ₱10,000 prize for being the first runner-up and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Cagayan Valley (DENR-R2) tabbed second runner-up to receive a plaque of recognition and ₱6,000 prize.
Twelve non-winning entries received ₱3,000 each as consolation prizes.
Aside from the winning entries, the regional education office also feted nine Schools Division Offices and their division information officers for “pioneering projects, programs, and activities that realized the intent and purpose of Project Public Affairs, Communication, and Information (PACI) in the region.”
Media partners, including Villamor Visaya Jr. (who is the founding owner-publisher of Luzonwide News Correspondent Publishing and incumbent news correspondent-stringer of the Philippine Daily Inquirer and GMA7 News), were also recognized “for their initiatives in the attainment of shared advocacies in advancing quality basic education.”
As this developed, Police Brig. Gen. Antonio Marallag Jr., police regional director, lauded police officers for winning the top prize for three consecutive years, “which highlights its unwavering commitment to promoting quality basic education in the region.”
Among the police initiatives focused in the presentation were the upgraded Project READY (Resistance Education Against Drugs for the Youth), to Project D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) and now, Project B.I.D.A (Buhay Ingatan, Droga’y Ayawan), a police preventive information and education program that raises awareness among the youth on the harmful effects of illegal drugs and also instill leadership values and sense of social responsibility.
At least 5,045 lectures were conducted both in private and public educational institutions with the youth of Cagayan Valley through the “Kabataan Kontra Droga at Terorismo” Movement.
The Project A.Y.E.R. (Assistance to Youth with Exemplary Academic Performance Cadetship Recruitment), wherein a total of 45 students were able to enter the Philippine National Police Academy, Philippine Military Academy, and Philippine Merchant Marine Academy, two of whom already graduated, including a current regimental commander of the Philippine Military Academy, was also highlighted.
The Project Learning on W.H.E.E.L.S., which gained community recognition wherein police officers in Santiago City use their patrol vehicles, equipped with educational materials, to conduct basic education lectures for out-of-school youth and street children were also amplified aside from the support to basic education such as the Project BES (Bisita ESkwela) Project AKLAT (Adhikaing gabayan ang mga Kabataan at Linangin Ang kanilang kaisipan Tungo sa magandang kinabukasan); Project BUKLAT-MULAT (Libro ay BUKLATin-Mag-aral Upang Landas Ay Tumuwid); Project F.U.T.U.R.E. (Fostering Underprivileged Youth Through Ushering Reliable Support to Education) and SALAAM activities.#
