Don Bosco Philippines South Province

Liloan, Cebu. June 28, 2019. Don Bosco FIS representatives met with the Department of Education (DepEd) officials to discuss the ongoing renewal process of the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between Don Bosco and DepEd for another 25 years. The private-public-partnership (PPP) is one of its kind in the country since Don Bosco is a private institution who also specializes in education and training, yet DepEd, through its “Adopt a School” program has allowed putting up an extension campus of the Liloan National High School which is four kilometers away. Thus since the first signing, the property in Liloan is called “Liloan National High School Annex – Don Bosco Campus.” The school is located within the Don Bosco Boys’ Home (DBBH) lot in Barangay Cotcot, Liloan.

Unique to the PPP is that the whole school is managed by DepEd and that means they also provide us with teachers and non teaching staff. The salary and honorarium are also taken cared by the DepEd since these teachers are government employees. The partnership lies in our lending our expertise especially through campus ministry and the technical know-how for the students.

The partnership with DepEd and Don Bosco was conceived years back when DBBH were sending its 120 boys of the DBBH residential care or center for Children in Need of Special Protection (CNSP) outside of its campus. Concerned for their safety and proper education due to external influences, the Salesians thought of having a school primarily only for the CNSP but since the area of Barangay Cotcot is also poor and DBRH is the present seat also of the parish, they have extended their concerns to the entire village and parish. LNHS-DB Campus has increased its enrollment from 100 in its infant stage to 520 students at present.

DepEd representatives were headed by Dr. Juliet A. Jeruta, the Regional Director for Region VII, who along the process of renewal was not only so supportive of this great initiative but was so motherly in her dealings with everyone.

On the other hand, DBBH was represented by its rector, Fr. Roneldo Vilbar, SDB and assisted by the Salesian school coordinators, Fr. Rhine Marco Bollozos, SDB and Mrs. Luzviminda Los Banes.The province also sent to aid the community through the Commission on Youth Ministry head Fr. Joriz F. Calsa, SDB and school sector head Fr. Cesar Manlosa, SDB. The group is targeting to have the MOA finally signed on July.

God indeed knows how to bless all initiatives for the poor.