The government has taken major initiatives in the past to introduce computer education in public schools through the DECS Computerization Program and DOST ESEP Project. Despite these efforts, however, almost 3,000 of the 4,209 public high schools in the Philippines have no computers and only an estimated two percent have access to the Internet.

The Personal Computers for Public Schools (PCPS) project targets to reduce the computer backlog in public high schools over the next three years. It aims to integrate computer education in the public secondary schools system, raise the computer literacy levels of teachers and students by providing them access to computer and information technology (IT), and equip students with the necessary skills and competencies to prepare them for IT-related college work and employment.

The PCPS project is an ambitious undertaking to place more personal computers in public high schools across the country so that more of our students - tomorrow's workforce - can be trained and educated through more intensive use of information technology.

Through a grant by the Obuchi Foundation, the Department of Trade & Industry and the Department of Education, Culture and Sports are spearheading this effort to provide brand-new computers to public high schools across the country as well as the training to maximize their use. In addition to the government funds secured for the grant, the two government agencies are also tapping other sources for the computers, particularly the private sector.

Related article:
connectEd.ph program