A day at the Montinola Information Center

Montinola Information Center is a fulfilled promise to the local people of Nasipit, Agusan del Norte. The project was envisioned by Mayor Roy Orlando D. Dayon for local residents and students to gain access to various books and publications as well as knowledge and information of every kind.  

The project was inaugurated last January 19, 2009, making it officially a year old. The building that houses the center is named after the Montinola family who donated the land on which it stands.

At present, the center boasts of an air-conditioned facility with sixteen computers connected to the Internet, different selections of books and magazines, a separate book section for little ones aged eight and below, an audio-visual room for film showing which also doubles as a conference room, and a receiving area.

Even before learning of the Philippine Community eCenter (CeC) Program, Mayor Dominador G. Esma, Jr. had already planned to set up an e-library for the municipality of Alegria. When he got the news about the CeC Program, he did not think twice about accepting the invitation to host a CeC in their municipality. To date, Alegria is the only mainland CeC recipient in Surigao del Norte.

After signing the Memorandum of Agreement during the Cagayan de Oro leg of Convergence 2009, an orientation was conducted for Alegria on February 8, 2010 at the municipality’s function hall. The orientation was attended by forty-three participants from various sectors to include heads of offices, barangay officials, core group and SB members and other key municipal officials.

The orientation was designed to tackle the different questions the participants had about the CeC Program. Alegria’s orientation discussed the program, what it is all about, the key players, the roles and responsibilities of the municipality as CeC recipient host, the packages they are entitled to, the services they can offer and how the local government unit (LGU) can benefit from the CeC.

San Fernando CeC core group orientation held last Feb 2

On February 2, the municipality of San Fernando, Camarines Sur held its first CeC core group orientation. For the members of the CeC core group, the orientation was a most awaited moment, a realization of what their community has been dreaming of: having their own CeC. Having a CeC in their municipality gives hope and aspirations to many of the constituents of San Fernando, especially the opportunity to use and learn the available ICT services.

Present during the CeC orientation were San Fernando Mayor Fermin Mabulo, Vice Mayor Joseph Ragay, and DALSC/eSkwela mobile center manager Rosa Olitoquit. Also present and expressing their support were the CeC core group, members of the Sangguniang Bayan and the eSkwela mobile teachers.

“ICT is a lever, and thru the CeC, it is a tool that will help us to make a better and well-developed community,” says Mayor Fermin Mabulo. He also emphasized the importance of communication between the local government unit (LGU), the CeC and the community. “Working without ‘leverage’ between the LGU and the community will be like moving a huge stone to a place [where] you hardly want it to be.”

The dreamers of Sta. Fe with Mayor Melchor M. Quemado Sr. (seated, third from left)

DREAM, BELIEVE, SURVIVE. This is a famous battle cry on television nowadays, but it is also an apt description for the municipality of Sta. Fe in Leyte. Sta. Fe dreams to become globally competitive, believes it could be progressive, and continues to survive all odds, despite its status as a 5th class municipality. The reason behind their optimism? Their very own Community eCenter!

Under the leadership of Municipal Mayor Melchor M. Quemado Sr., the municipality of Sta. Fe officially became a CeC host, marked by the signing of the Memorandum of Agreement between the municipality and Commission on Information and Communications Technology (CICT). The agreement was further strengthened when Regional IT Coordinator for Region VIII Claire Fernandez conducted an on-site CeC orientation on December 15, 2009.

The orientation, in part, discussed the duties and responsibilities of the CeC Core Group with regard to the management and operations of the CeC. Sta. Fe’s Core Group is composed of members of the Sangguniang Bayan, representatives from the LIGA ng mga Barangay, the SK federation and the Department of Education district office. Also included in the Core Group are representatives of the Recent Trends Innovative Dynamics Society, a non-government organization, as well as other municipal officials, including CeC manager Godofredo Roca.