Iloilo province on Friday unveiled two modules under its Bulig Eskwela sang Probinsya (BES Probins) Program to empower the youth through informed career choices and responsible voting for a Bagong Pilipinas (New Philippines).

The Career Guidance Instructional Module (CGIM) was launched, with Education Secretary Sonny Angara in attendance, to guide secondary students in choosing a career based on the country’s labor requirement.

The module will teach learners the National and Local Development Plans to know the direction of the government and the economy.

Governor Arthur Defensor Jr., in his message, said the provincial government wanted to establish an educational system that would meet the human resource need of the government, economy, and industry.

“We want to be there as they choose a career, and we want to teach them the direction of the country, the government, and the economy so that they become the human resource that we need and that they could have a job when they graduate,” the governor said.

The CGIM is also a localized version of Republic Act 11206 or the Career Guidance and Counseling Act, which Defensor authored when he was congressman of the province’s third district.

Defensor thanked Angara, who sponsored the counterpart bill in the Senate when he was still a senator.

The Voter’s Education Instructional Module (VEIM), on the other hand, aims to develop a citizenry capacitated to participate effectively, meaningfully, and intelligently in the electoral process in the country.

“We want to contribute our fair share in the creation of a human resource and an electorate that is intelligent,” Defensor said.

The modules were crafted in collaboration with the Department of Education (DepEd) Schools Division of Iloilo and the University of the Philippines Visayas (UPV).

UPV Chancellor Clement Camposano, in a separate interview, said it is about time they invest heavily in civic education and not just in voter’s education.

Camposano said with the help of partners, they have created a hub in UP Visayas with the long-term plan of establishing a civic education program and making it part of their future training.

“That is something that will become part of our strategic interests here in UP Visayas. I will definitely continue to push for that, whether it’s voter’s education or some other forms of civic education,” he added. (PNA)