Project citizen

Manila Bulletin – 20 hours ago

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In high school, students are usually just preoccupied with studies, maintaining good grades, love problems and other teenage issues involving their identities, friends and families.

But with Project Citizen, more and more high-schoolers are now learning what it means to be active citizens by creating real solutions to community issues and problems.

Project Citizen is being implemented in select high schools nationwide by the Philippine Center of Civic Education (PCCED) through an international program. It trains high school students to seek public policy interventions in solving community problems. With the aim to transform the youth as effective and active citizens, the program also trains teachers on understanding public policy, effective research and communication strategies, and Project Citizen methodology.

Last year, Project Citizen was rolled out in Batangas, Benguet, Davao, Zamboanga, Bicol, National Capital Region (NCR), and Bohol. Globe Telecom supported its Batangas run and the National Showcase held last April 13.

Eight teams composed of enthusiastic students from all over the country traveled to Manila for the National Showcase, flaunting their Project Citizen portfolios with some initiatives already awaiting discussions on the possibility of becoming actual barangay and city ordinances.
"Our policy proposal is pending a public hearing with the city government. Noong una, ang goal kasi namin ay makagawa lang ng project. Hindi naming akalain na 'yung ginawa namin hindi lang matatanggap sa barangay, pero pati sa city level," shares Rickly Kamille Baldoza, 15, of Muntinlupa City National High School (MCNHS). "We were also awarded 'Best in Research' during the NCR showcase."

The MCNHS project is about a policy proposal to address the rising number of students spending time in computer shops in Brgy. Poblacion during school hours.

The event also highlighted community issues such as the hazardous canals. The students from Regional Science High School of Region IX proposed a water clean-up drive in their community which is also being considered by their barangay as a policy.

But more than producing policy proposals which can be turned into actual ordinances, Project Citizen is a transformative program which empowers theyouth to collaborate and contribute to a better community and a more efficient government.

"Nung na-practice na namin 'yung Project Citizen, dun ko nakita 'yung essence ng teamwork. If you want change, you can't do it alone. In order to create change, you have to have teamwork and collaboration. Eto 'yung pinaka-importanteng lesson na natutunan ko," reveals 16-year old Nehemia Fajardo of Zamboanga.

All eight teams represented the best projects in their respective provinces. But the Tanauan School of Fisheries took the plum prize in the recently-held National Showcase at the University of Makati.

The Batangas team bested the other national representatives and were evaluated by a panel based on their understanding of the problem, analysis of alternative policies, public policy development and implementation of their action plan. The panel of judges included Leon G. Flores, chairman of the National Youth Commission; Dr. Yolanda C. Quijano, former Department of Education Undersecretary; Zen Dimalanta, program director for E-Media of ABS-CBN Foundation; Dr. Ferdinand Pingul, professor at the University of Asia and the Pacific and PCCED board member, and Rob Nazal, CSR head of Globe Telecom.

"Globe is continuously working hand in hand with partners and organizations who share the same advocacy of inspired and responsive local governance. Through our partnership with PCCED, we hope to transform students to become the country's next generation of leaders through Project Citizen," said Yoly Crisanto, head of Globe Corporate Communications.

Project Citizen is one of the Globe-supported projects which champions active citizenship as an integral part of good governance, one of the advocacies of the corporate social responsibility arm of Globe Telecom.

http://ph.news.yahoo.com/project-citizen-170038480.html