US donates P27M in books to Bicol

THE UNITED STATES has donated P27 million worth of reading materials for young students in the Bicol region, the US Embassy said in a statement on Tuesday.  

It said it handed over 540,000 early grade books to the Department of Education (DepEd) from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) on Aug. 22.   

“We are working with DepEd so that children who are returning to school have access to age- and context-appropriate learning resources,” USAID Education Director Thomas LeBlanc said in the statement.  

The reading materials included picture books, storybooks and leveled books in English and Filipino to help students from Kindergarten to Grade 3 develop their reading skills. 

The donation is the first batch of materials that USAID is giving DepEd this school year.  — Alyssa Nicole O. Tan