Press Release
February 17, 2010

ANGARA LEADS CANILI RURAL FARM SCHOOL GROUNDBREAKING

Senate's Mr. Education Senator Edgardo J. Angara today led the groundbreaking of Canili Rural Farm School in Ma. Aurora, Aurora province.

"Indeed education is the most cost-effective way to reduce poverty and foster economic growth. By investing in education we can save more resources," said Angara who authored landmark laws which created TESDA and CHED.

Canili Farm School is under the Family Rural Development Program within a public high school this is a contextual learning wherein all members of the family learn together with the students. Its curriculum adopts an alternating cycle of education where the students spend part of their time in the farm or rural business and part of their time in school.

It is a unique technical/agricultural school concept patterned after the French Centre d' Education Familiale par Alternance (CEFA) and the Spanish Escuelas Familiares Agrarias (EFA) system.

The school is an association of families, professionals and institutions that assume the responsibility of development and the promotion of the rural environment through integral educative actions, especially with the youth, as a way of responding to common problems. They make sure that the educational system is relevant to the needs of the rural areas for development. The students are expected to become entrepreneurs, skillful farmers or fishermen. They may also become employees in rural business.

"Foremost of our concerns is to ensure that the youth will continue on with their education even after they graduate. With these programs, we are assured that these underprivileged but equally deserving and talented are given the opportunity to further their education and training," Angara said.

Canili Family Rural Development Program (CFRDP) is the only family farm school in public high school in the Philippines. All other family farm schools in the Philippines are privately managed. This program started April 2007 with 36 first year students at Canili Area National High Schools which cater to 3 barangays of San Juan, Galintuja and Decoliat and vicinity barangays of Castaneda, Nueva Vizcaya.

The event was attended by Angara, Michael Hsu, Philip Cruz, Gov. Bellaflor Angara-Castillo, Cong. Sonny Angara and Municipal Officials: Mayor Ariel Bitong, Vice Mayor, Amado Geneta, DepEd Officials: SDS Gereno R. Antonio, ASDS Rhoda T. Razon and Principal Beatrice del Ocampo.

News Latest News Feed