Tech-voc education seen as key to growth and progress in Navotas City
According to a local school official, various academic tests showed that the aptitude of most ‘Navoteños’ is into tech-voc, considering the city’s thriving fishing industry and its current title as “Fishing Capital of the Philippines.”
“Not a very good percentage finish college; most drop out of school and get menial jobs with below-minimum wages. A lot of people are impoverished. The best way to turnaround the life of these people is for the youth to be skilled,” Jojie Fernando, secondary principal at San Rafael Tech-Voc High School (HS) in the city’s Barangay North Bay said.
San Rafael Tech-Voc HS is one institution directly contributing to the skills’ improvement of Navotas City’s youth. Formerly described as a “DDU” (depressed, deprived, and underserved) school, San Rafael Tech-Voc HS has since been garnering various accolades, including its title as the city’s top performing school in the National Achievement Test, and the “Exceptional School for NCR” award from the Department of Education from 2014 to 2016.
According to Fernando, it took a combination of assistance from the city government and the Aboitiz Foundation, the corporate foundation of the Aboitiz Group, to realize the school’s current status.
“It was a big turnaround for us — the mindset has totally changed for both teachers and students. We have a caring and nurturing school environment with zero cases of drugs, teenage pregnancies, even bullying,” Fernando proudly noted.
Aboitiz Foundation, together with Aboitiz Power Corporation’s oil business unit Therma Mobile, Inc. (TMO) assisted the school in the refurbishment of classrooms into baking and cookery, dress-making, and cosmetology laboratories, which over 900 students in all levels are currently utilizing. The Aboitiz Foundation also donated the equipment needed for each vocational class.
Meanwhile, Aboitiz Foundation and TMO also assisted nine teachers with tech-voc training, with 98% of San Rafael Tech Voc HS’ faculty and administration, including department heads, currently being National Certificate II (NCII)-trained and certified by the Technical and Educational Skills Development Authority.
San Rafael Tech-Voc HS is now setting its sight on a new target — to be certified as an assessment center to ease the burden for students and teachers in paying certification fees. Construction is also ongoing for new carpentry and welding laboratories and a four-storey classroom building.
“We are proud of what San Rafael Tech-Voc HS has become, and equally excited for what it can still accomplish. The Aboitiz Foundation will continue to provide support to our partner schools as we co-create communities that are safe, empowered, and sustainable—driving change for a better world,” said Maribeth L. Marasigan, Aboitiz Foundation First Vice President and Chief Operating Officer.
In 2016, the Aboitiz Foundation assisted a total of 18 tech-voc high schools, benefitting nearly 800 students.
The Aboitiz Foundation has long been a staunch supporter of Philippine education reform, believing education is where the Group can make the biggest impact. The Foundation’s most important goal is to achieve universal public education by establishing more Aboitiz BetterWorld schools that promise a better learning environment. This, in turn, supports the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals, specifically on Quality Education (ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all).
