In December 2008 and February 2009, PhilCeCNet and the Commission of ICT conducted an exchange program for Community eCenter managers. The CeC managers of both batches got to visit different types of CeCs in the Luzon and Visayas areas. Below is a compilation of the best practices as well as important observations picked up from these visits:

CeCs based in Local Government Units

Ayungon is now a WiMax zone

• Municipality is now a WiMax zone. CeC provides technical assistance for those who wish to avail of the service.
• CeC now serves as an ISP to nearby communities. Clients include Internet cafes in other towns, schools and households.
• CeC regulates computer use by minors. Games allowed only up to 7pm.
• Income generating strategy employed: treat customers well, replace defective equipment (e.g. headset, mouse, etc) immediately.
• Last year, CeC manager went out of his way to email all senators as well as the Rotary Club requesting support for their project (only two senators replied though, saying that 2008 funds have already been allocated but might reconsider in 2009).

:: Boac CeC, Boac, Marinduque 

• Boac CeC has evolved into Boac TeleRad (short for “teleradiology”). With this development, the Boac Health and Diagnostic Center shall become the center for the whole province.
• CeC manager is active in civic organizations and makes use of his connections in improving the services of their CeC. For instance, the radiologist assisting them now in their teleradiology project is actually a colleague from their REACT (Regional Emergency Assistance Center) group.
• CeC is currently putting together a Community Based Monitoring System. They will also be implementing the Telebarangay Healthcare System and are also looking into another project called TeleStethoscope.

Bogo CeC Internet Rates

• CeC’s published rates are prorated according to duration of usage e.g. 5-20 minutes = P5.00, 21-40 minutes = P10.00, 41 minutes to 1 hour = P15.00
• Location is very strategic – at the heart of the town plaza. CeC is housed in the same building as the city library and museum, so those waiting for their turn at the computers may opt to do some reading or just have a look around (productive waiting time).
  
• Very good, clean and well-maintained facilities, with well-equipped audio-visual room.
• CeC manager’s office has a very good view of the different workstations and users.
• CeC plans to set up a public calling center as well as provide additional services such as fax, scanning and ID printing and lamination.
• CeC manager’s spirit and commitment is admirable.
• CeC manager has very good documentation or baseline data of the center’s usage e.g. 30 minutes average waiting time during peak hours

:: Compostela Valley CeC, Laak, Compostela Valley Province

• CeC is under the provincial government’s IT unit and the latter’s MOOE budget carries the expenses of the CeC.

:: Liliw CeC, Liliw, Laguna

• Municipal mayor is supportive of the CeC initiative.
• Strategic location of CeC - entrance to municipal building and fronting the shoe shops which Liliw is famous for.

Lubao CeC Entrance

• Online games are not allowed at the CeC.
• LGU has existing partnership with TESDA on the provision of six-month computer training to high school graduates for free. eTESDA training room is located at the municipal hall.
• There is an on-going initiative to make the open space fronting the municipal hall a free WiFi zone.

:: Luna CeC, Luna, Apayao

• Made use of their three-year business plan to institutionalize an IT unit. Included need for an IT officer by 2006. Once their business plan was approved by the Sangguniang Bayan, ITO position was also approved since it’s part of the plan. Thus, their assistant CeC manager was promoted from Computer Operator (SG 7) to ITO (SG19).
• Before, CeC budget came from 20% of the municipal development fund. Now, ITU has a separate budget from the general fund.

:: Rosales CeC, Rosales, Pangasinan

• Ordinance on the CeC project is approved by the provincial government.

:: San Fabian CeC, San Fabian, Pangasinan

• CeC has its own logo designed by the CeC manager (for CeC branding). This is used especially when accepting designing and printing jobs for tarpaulin banners, brochures, etc.

San Remigio CeC Vision, Mission and Services

• CeC operation is covered by an ordinance so change of local government administration does not pose any problem to the CeC’s existence.
• CeC has a TESDA-accredited trainor in the person of Mr. Ariel Balili, the CeC in-charge.
• Entire ground floor of the municipal building where CeC is housed is a WiFi hotspot.
• CeC vision and mission is conspicuously displayed inside the center.
• CeC offers VOIP service.
• Municipal mayor is very supportive.
• CeC is open from 10am to 10pm, with CeC personnel working on shifts.
• CeC personnel make use of their newsletter to advertise the CeC
• CeC operation is guided by their strategic plan as well as their Information, Education and Communication (IEC) plan

• Serves as SECPA (Security Paper) Serbilis outlet facilitating the application for and issuance of civil registry documents. This brings in an additional monthly income of P50,000 to the CeC.
• CeC serves as WiFi provider for the municipality
• CeC is planning to provide ticketing services to the community
  
• Sustainability strategies: focus on educating the community on technology and capability building of CeC staff
  

• CeC houses the web server where the LGU website is hosted.
• The entire building where the CeC is located is a WiFi hotspot and is free for public use.
• eRPTS is also housed at the CeC.

:: Tayabas CeC, Tayabas, Quezon

• Makes use of K9 software to prevent access to pornographic or offensive websites.
  
• Provides free computer use for the first fifteen minutes per day.

• CeC offers five-minute photo service.
• CeC serves as the IT backbone of the LGU.

CeCs for Farmers

• A few months back, CeC held a job fair and a lot of aspirants flocked to center. Many were able to land a job. Some of them even dropped by the center to thank the CeC manager for helping them find a job.
  

  FITS-Maguinda manager and volunteer worker Danny Majait
• Center was also able to help a local entrepreneur expand her business.
• Holds “Techno Clinic” once a week. They invite experts to the center and farmers can bring their sample commodities and consult the experts regarding problems they may have.
  
• Host a radio program called Banga Techno Pinoy Farm Watch via DYMT-FM
• One of the best FITS centers in the country awarded during the Techno Gabay Summit last year.
  

:: FITS Center – Maguinda, Butuan

• CeC manager is a volunteer who has been serving the center for so many years now. Spirit of volunteerism and commitment is truly admirable.

:: FITS Center for Rural Technology Development (CRTD) – Calauan, Laguna

• They recently tapped the Municipal Agricultural Office to help them gather farmers for a free training
• In addition to materials provided by Philippine Council for Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCARRD), they also solicit useful information from other relevant agencies to be made available at the FITS center.
• They have an NGO (PBSP) as partner for the FITS center.
• They have model farms within the compound. The land where the technologies are tested is owned by PBSP/CRTD.
• For two years now, the center has been self-sustaining with the proceeds of farm produce and training fees.

• A spot map of Bohol Province with place marks for all FITS Centers in Bohol is conspicuously displayed at the entrance to the center.
  

  Pro-FITS Printed Materials
• CeC has a hard copy of the profile of all FITS Centers in the Bohol area. These are made available for ready reference at the CeC.

:: Ubay Agri Park (UAP) FITS, Lomangog, Ubay, Bohol:

• Livestock and poultry-focused FITS center
• Evolved into an agri park, making it the only agri-tourism destination in Central Visayas
• Best FITS Center awardee in 2008

CeCs for Out-of-School Youth and Adults

• Location is in the Muzon market area (“pabahay” community) which has a population of about 70,000.
• Learners of the center topped the Accreditation and Equivalency exam in the region recently.
• Center has student volunteers from nearby colleges (e.g. IT students from Bulacan State University) who assist at the center as part of the academe’s community service under the National Service Training Program (NSTP). They put in three hours a week at the eSkwela.
• Among the learners at the center is a 65-year old woman who wants to learn how to use the computer so she can also inspire other members of the community to join the program.
  

  Learners at the eSkwela in Tejero, Cebu
  
  
• As in the case of the eSkwela Center in Cebu, partnerships sustain the center – governor takes care of electricity, city government provides the space and honorarium of instructional managers, CICT provides the e-learning modules, DepEd provides the mobile teachers, etc
• Strong support from LGU. Congressman will fund the purchase of additional computers.
• Two additional eSkwela centers will be set up - one in the same district as the first eSkwela and the other in another district (to be funded by the congressman as mentioned above).

:: eSkwela Center – Tejero, Cebu

• Center manager, Ms. Rebecca Ouano, a former Grade 6 teacher at Tejero Elementary School, is very passionate and devoted to her work. Sometimes she even shells out her own money to buy notebooks for students that come empty-handed.
• Call center training offered at the center. Ms. Ouano taps her own daughter who is working at Convergys to help out with the call center training.
• Center also offers vocational training such as cellphone repair, welding, computer repair, etc. The theory part is tackled at the center while the practical training is coordinated with external partners. Some graduates have already established their own cellphone repair shop.
• Partnerships sustain the center: Tejero Elementary School for the space, CICT for the e-learning modules, DepEd for the mobile teachers, Rotary Club for the center facilities, local government for the electricity, etc

Others

:: Bantay Bata sa Komunidad (Child Watch), Pandacan, Manila 

Bantay Bata sa Komunidad (BBK) Center, Pandacan, Manila

• Caters especially to victims of trafficking, abused househelps, out-of-school youth and all those who are vulnerable to abuse.
  
• Provides gender sensitivity training to youth and kids as part of their leadership training at the center.
• Aside from IT, center also provides training on life skills and social entrepreneurship as well as access to credit and micro enterprise development
• Of the 10,054 trained in IT for the period May 2006-June 2008 (Phase 1 of project), 3,318 have already landed a job while 3,500 have opted to pursue further studies.
• Some former students/learners now serve as instructors at the center.
• Mothers and housewives are actively involved in the BBK cause and serve as volunteers at the center. This is also a form of self-development for these women in the community.
• Enrollment is covered by a learning contract. It states not just what the learner will get but also his or her responsibilities, among which is to look out for his or her classmates in what is called the “bantayan” system. This nurtures a sense of family among the learners, which could also account for the very low drop-out rate at the center.
  

  Poster displayed inside the R-HUB Center
  
  
• BBK also offers a program for the fathers in the community called “Basic Orientation for Tatay Effectiveness” or BOTE.

:: Reproductive Health User Base (R-HUB) Center, Inayawan, Cebu

• Inclusion of learning modules that focus on life skills e.g. critical thinking, decision making, personality development, etc.

:: TelOf CeC – Roces Avenue, Quezon City

• CeC is open from 8am to 10pm. TelOf personnel assigned to man the CeC work on day and night shifts to be able to cater to clients who come after 5pm.
• CeC personnel are holding regular plantilla positions of TelOf.