Patricia M. Abejo, Director Commission on Information and Communications Technology Republic of the Philippines

1. The Community eCenter Program Patricia M. Abejo, Director Commission on Information and Communications Technology Republic of the Philippines APEC Seminar on Using ICT for Rural Community Capacity Building 23 March 2008, Tokyo, Japan

2. What are CeCs? • CeC is a Philippine brand for a shared facility designed to provide communities with affordable and relevant access to a wide array of ICT-related services • Response to the resolve of “bridging the digital divide by building a people-centered, inclusive and development-oriented Information Society”

3. Where are the CeCs? • Goal is to reach 1,500 by 2010; about 750 as of December 2007 • http://www.philcecnet.ph/content/view/14/15/

4. Philippine CeC Network • Launched in 2006 • Objectives: • Harmonize efforts of various CeC initiatives • Share knowledge and experiences • Achieve common directions and operations • Portal: http://www.philcecnet.ph/

5. Philippine CeC Network • CeC Roadmap 2008-2010 • Target launch April 2008 • Set directions for the implementation vis-à-vis national development goals • Map current activities, issues and concerns and proposed strategies, the products and services to be offered by CeCs, identify major players and their roles in the CeC program • telecentre.org-Philippine CeC Academy • National level training and capacity building system to develop CeC managers and knowledge workers

6. What are the CeC models for ICT capacity building? • Education • eSkwela • Internet for Public High Schools (iSchools) • Agriculture • Techno Gabay Program • Telehealth • National Telehealth Center/Buddyworks • Business • Last Mile Initiative Program

7. ICT-enhanced alternative education programs for the out-of-school youth • For 2006, funding provided by the APEC Education Fund: • Four pilot sites • Each with 21-unit networked computers, relevant peripherals, one year Internet connectivity, educators’ training, content, and a customized learning management system

8. Certificate of Commendation for the Non-Formal Educator Category of the UNESCO ICT in Education Innovation Awards, 2007-2008

9. eLearning modules based on BALS (print-based) materials • 3 tracks: • Accreditation & Equivalency • Catch up & return to formal education • Livelihood/ Skills Training

10. Customized Instruction Model • Conversion of print into e-learning modules • ICT-based student portfolios • Customized Learning Management Systems (LMS) • Communication Skills • Critical Thinking and Problem Solving • Sustainable Use of Resources/Productivity • Development of Self and a Sense of Community • Expanding One’s World Vision • Educators’/Stakeholders’ Training • Training on Content Development • Teachers’ Training on the eSkwela Instructional Design • Network Administration Training, Center Management Training and Sustainability Planning • Oracle Education Foundation provides training on the use of Think.com for eSkwela

11. Increase the ICT literacy of public high school teachers to enable them to fully integrate the use of ICT in teaching and learning; • Build the capability of regional and district ICT coordinators of the Department of Education (DepEd) to allow them to facilitate ICT-related undertakings in the future; • Facilitate the cooperation between various educational institutions in the local area; and • Gauge the impact of integrating ICT in education by 2010

12. 15 PCs in lab • Student to PC ratio of 3:1 • 3 PCs in Faculty Room • 10 teachers trained for 5 days in ICT Literacy • 2 teachers trained for 5 days Lab Management • 1 PC for school administration • Sustainability training for 3 Schools leaders for 3 days • 1 PC for library

13. Educators Training • Computer and Internet Literacy Course plus ICT for Basic Education • Laboratory Management • Sustainability Planning • Web Development • Library Management

14. Participatory Content Development thru Competition • Empower the students to learn by themselves using educational software • Encourage self-facilitated learning among the students and build a digital library of educational content applications that can be used by schools nationwide

15. National Telehealth Center • Created in 1998 • Primary objective is to increase access to health information and services through ICT • Center of excellence for telemedicine and telehealth • Serves to address low doctor to patient ratio, concentration of medical experts in urban communities and difficulty to replicate high-expertise centers in marginalized areas

16. eHealth • eLearning approach – create instructional AVPs on community management of common medical disorders • Community Management of Childhood Poisoning, Stroke, Tuberculosis and Avian Influenza • Designed for barangay health workers and pilot tested in different locations nationwide • Video showing backed up by online video teleconferencing using Skype with Poisons and Infectious Diseases specialists based in Manila • BuddyWorks – establish a nationwide IT-enhanced health services system to network for public telemedicine services and render continuous distance education to health workers • Provides network infrastructure, develops the distance learning courseware, and trains provincial doctors • Real-time diagnosis with doctors in hard-to-reach provinces via sending of digitized data, mentoring through VOiP

17. Last Mile Initiative – Philippines • PPP at work – administered September 2005-October 2006 • Technical assistance provided by the USAID-EMERGE • Assist in hastening economic reforms, governance and overall competitiveness by determining the best models and practices for replication and widespread application of CeCs throughout the country • Provide the design, development, establishment and assessment of sustainable CeCs in rural and unserved areas • Three types of assistance: • Physical infra set-up • Develop, pilot-test and facilitate various training modules for CeCs and the host communities • Document best practices for replication and scalability

18. Last Mile Initiative – Philippines • Making learning in rural communities more innovative and engaging • Teachers use the information and tools from the Internet to make their teaching more creative and are also trained on developing instructional websites through web logs • Students are trained in using online libraries • Training courses on basic office applications, how to use the Internet, web development, graphic design and e-learning are also offered • Mindanao experience: • Transformed into an information-rich locality • Local governments invested in computer units, physical space, manpower and monthly connectivity subscription fees for the CeC • The CICT and USAID-GEM provided the wireless broadband connection, financial assistance for installation fees and other needed equipment • The CeCs allowed community residents to facilitate online government and business processes on their own; providing internet access to public schools for innovative learning of the students; and teachers to access the Internet

19. Usage by women • Bridging the digital divide and empowering women • Field surveys and interviews reveal: • CeC services satisfy the rural community residents’ needs for information and communication • Typical procedures done in the CeCs are research, downloading of multi-media content, communicating with family members located abroad, and browsing news. • Based on the survey, women outnumber male users and are regarded as regular CeC users • Female customers use CeC services for availing ICT literacy courses such as word processing, spreadsheet, presentation making, and Internet usage; applying for employment; internet surfing; communicating with friends and loved ones; and reading online news

20. LMIP sites

21. Techno Gabay Program

22. Techno Gabay Program • Stakeholders: • Government: CICT, DOST, PCARRD, Dept. of Agri-Agri Training Institute, local government units • Academe: University of the Philippines (Los Baños) • NGO: Foundation for Agriculture Related Missions Inc. • Private service providers • Regional R&D consortia. • Quick stats: 14 regional consortia, 342 FITS centers

23. Farmers’ Information and Technology Services (FITS) • FITS centers • Enable farmers to access essential farming inputs from the Internet • B2BPriceNow.com allows farmers to penetrate markets and monitor prevailing market prices and sell their produce • Educate farmers on beneficial practices such as organic farming, off-season production and harmful effects of pesticides • The FITS-IS • Installed in the FITS centers and is composed of six (6) databases namely: Technology, Expert’s Profile, Farmer’s Profile, Contact Firms, Publication, Technology Video Materials • Farmer-Scientist Bureau (FSB) • Designates outstanding farmers as Farmer Scientists or Magsasaka Siyentista who lead in technology adoption and advocacy • Farmer Scientists are trained to perform R&D endeavors in their farms and set up Science and Technology farms • Farmer Scientists become resource persons of indigenous knowledge to other farmers

24. What have we learned? • Strengthen public, private, and civil society collaboration • Promote ‘Ownership’ and ‘Buy-In’ of local stakeholders through enhanced capacity-building and social preparation activities • Development of content that is appropriate and relevant for the community or sector

25. What have we learned? • Adopting the Enterprise Model • Run the centers as a business enterprise • Give the option to conduct either paid or free basic computer skills training as a social advocacy strategy and an avenue for market expansion • Enterprise Development module on valuable entrepreneurial competencies • Processes of establishing an enterprise, service and product selection, market research and survey tools, cost and pricing analyses, strategic planning, business development tools and time management • Operations Management module • Conceptualization of staffing policies; definition of roles and responsibilities; development of daily operations and center use guidelines; and adoption of some form of accounting systems, feedback mechanisms and performance monitoring system

26. What have we learned? • Knowledge-Sharing of Best Practices Through Local, Provincial, Regional and National Fora • Conduct of national and regional consultation and operational planning workshops to harmonize strategies for implementation • Training on the following areas: Basic ICT Skills, Basic Networking, the Internet, FITS Information Systems, and Regional Profile Information Systems • Training on Information, Education and Communication for developing and packaging information and technologies • Encourage inter-regional cross visits and study tours

27. What have we learned? • Integrated Monitoring and Evaluation Mechanisms • Built-in monitoring measures to identify and document best practice models • Build on existing strengths and effective models to replicate practices

28. Moving Forward • Consider community needs and characteristics in developing relevant local content • Pursue capability-building efforts • Obtain support from the local government • Ensure availability of ICT infrastructure • Develop a guide or a toolkit on CeC operations

29. Private sector – business& NGOs Academe (universities, schools) Infrastructure/ utility providers (telecom, power) CeC Govern-ment (national and local) Comm-unity members CeC Model for Success

30. Want to learn more? • http://www.philcecnet.ph/ • http://eskwela.wikispaces.com/ • http://ischools.wikispaces.com/ • http://www.pcarrd.dost.gov.ph/programs/technogabay/ • http://www.b2bpricenow.com/contents/mainpage.asp • http://www.lastmileinitiative.ph/index.htm • http://www.telehealth.ph/

31. The Community eCenter Program Thank you and Mabuhay!