Tanauan, Leyte -- Leyte Governor Carlos Jericho L. Petilla recently made a surprise visit to Tanauan National High School in Tanauan, Leyte in order to observe the ICOT-P IT pilot class which is one of his priority projects for the youth who are the future leaders of the province.

The Governor wants to know the development of the pilot IT class in the school which is one of the two pilot schools on Information Technology which he introduced only this year as an additional course under the ICOT-P or Income Creating Opportunity thru Technology Project.

The Governor was happy to observe that the IT students are already able to make payrolls and resolutions in the computer after having started the course only this semester. The students take the course only during Saturdays and Sundays under the tutelage of a professional IT instructress.

In his message to the students, the Governor informed the students that since the students are not yet employable after graduation because of their age, he will see to it that an advance course will be given them so that they will learn more systems and programs about IT.

In the meantime, the students, after graduation, while they have not yet reached the employable age, they may volunteer their services at the Local Government Units or at the Department of Education.

Mayor Roque Tiu who was with the Governor during the observation, commented that it is very typical of the young Governor to really see to it that his projects are properly implemented. He does not want half-baked implementation, it must always be the best for the people of Leyte.

In order to address the state of public education in the Province of Leyte where only 20% of the high school graduates are really able to enter college, Governor Carlos Jericho Petilla, youthful and innovative as he always is, has started implementing measures that will enable the students to be economically independent even if they are unable to enter college.

Such projects are also in consonance with President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's trust of improving the quality of education in the country and creating more jobs.

Governor Petilla is now implementing, as part of the curriculum in more public high schools in the province, the livelihood enhancement course which is known as ICOT-P, Income Creating Opportunity thru Technology Project. Governor Petilla said that this course is being undertaken by the fourth year students who are sure of not being able to enter college.

Under ICOT-P, students are equipped with modern farming and other livelihood skills through short courses. The skills include organic farming, vermi-composting, mushroom production, high value vegetables and fruit crops production, and broiler production. The provincial government provides for all the instructional materials and farming capital of the ICOT-P.

Inspired by the success of the ICOT-P students in the first six pilot schools, Governor Petilla decided to replicate it in other high schools in the province. Todate, there are already 83 schools in the different municipalities of the province that offers ICOT-P. This shows the strong support of the schools to the project of the Governor.

ICOT-P this year, expanded to the offering of IT in two pilot schools in Alang-Alang and Tanauan. The graduates of the ICOT P IT courses will be able to find employment right after graduation in high school.