By the numbers: Philippines 2014 [2014-06-14]

By way of a summary of the Reneal IEO projects in the Philippines in 2014, I’d like to share the letter we wrote to Dr. Arden D. Monisit, the Schools Division Superintendent of Cebu Province Division.  In US currency, the total value of the computer hardware that was installed is a little over $14,000 (almost 620,000 Philippine pesos), with about 60% of that value representing corporate donations of used equipment.  The software, a combination of Open Source resources and custom programs crafted by Neal over the last eight years, adds considerably to that value.  And of course our dedicated team who shared the work of the installations volunteered their time and passion to make these projects a reality.  All of this is offered freely to give new opportunities to students and teachers through improved access to Information Technology.  It was truly a thrill to work with so many competent and dedicated teachers at these schools.  We look forward to our return in 2015 to continue our partnership with them!

Arden D. Monisit, Ed. D., Schools Division Superintendent

Department of Education, Cebu Province Division

May 30, 2014

Dear Dr. Monisit,

Greetings of Peace and Joy!  We would like to thank you for your many years of support of us and our work here in Cebu.  We are proud to be able to serve the administration and schools of Cebu Province Division in the area of ICT.  Although our United States Peace Corps service ended in 2008, we have returned annually to Cebu and have since co-founded Reneal International Education Outreach Incorporated (Reneal IEO), a United States 501(c)(3) non-profit organization serving schools in the Philippines and Tanzania. 

This letter serves to summarize our work in Cebu Province Division this year.  In 2014, Reneal IEO expanded its efforts to seven other schools in Cebu Province Division: Tayud National High School (Consolacion), Carmen National High School, Daanbantayan National High School, Sapak Extension High School (Compostela), Bagalnga Integrated School (Compostela), Compostela Central School, and Estaca Elementary School (Compostela).  Upgrades to the previously installed system at Compostela National High School were also accomplished.  The table on the next page provides a preliminary summary of the 2014 projects, including approximate donation amount and approximate number of students served at each school.  We would also like to acknowledge generous donations of used computer equipment provided by two American companies and the Aboitiz group of companies in support of this work.  The value of these donations is included in the summary table.  Teacher orientation training is offered for schools where the Reneal IEO system is installed, and the number receiving this training is also provided in the table.  Formal system administration training was also provided to 15 IT teachers.

The Reneal IEO system is based upon Linux and Open Source software.  As such, it is free and legal for use by schools.  It does not suffer from virus problems and the centralized nature of the system greatly reduces maintenance costs and time for the ICT teachers.  Centralized file storage is also much more efficient to use for students and teachers because they can access their files from any of the computers on campus that are connected to the server.  Teacher accounts are password protected so students cannot access teacher information.  The Reneal IEO system allows for the use of older computers, even those without a hard disk.  The system has the standard types of applications taught to students in the Dep Ed curriculum, but also includes a huge collection of applications and resources for teachers for ICT integration in all other subject areas. However because the Reneal IEO system is a server-client configuration, any existing Microsoft software installed on the computers can still be used. 

We view our work here as a long-standing partnership with the schools of Cebu.  The IT teachers at these schools are leaders in identifying the creative use of technology that can be developed and shared with other schools.  We look forward to continuing to support these schools into the future, as well as expanding to other schools in Cebu Province Division in 2015 and beyond. 

Sincerely,

Rene L. Bierbaum                                                                Neal R. Bierbaum

Co-founder and Treasurer, Reneal IEO                              Co-founder and President, Reneal IEO

Reneal International Education Outreach Incorporated

2014 Philippines Project Summary (Preliminary Report, May 29, 2014)

* Includes the value of donated used computer equipment from two American companies and the Aboitiz group of companies in the Philippines