Reducing poverty through education

We live in a world unquestionably beset by a multitude of problems. Crisis after crisis haunts mankind non-stop. Pandemics, conflicts, and natural disasters imperil and claim lives. Hunger beckons as runaway inflation mercilessly descend on the poor. Poverty for multitudes is commonplace. Should we just turn our backs on our brethren if such misfortune has not visited us? Clearly not.

The much acclaimed and widely adapted UN's Sustainable Development Goals are clear proof that the more enlightened among us are determined to make a difference. But in the 2022 SDG Report, particularly regarding the number one goal of "No Poverty," due to Covid-19, the Ukraine war, and inflation, 4 years of global progress have been wiped out and an additional eight million workers have been pushed into poverty.

According to the Philippine Statistics Authority December 2021 report, the poverty incidence in the country increased by 23.7 percent during the first half of 2021, pushing four million more Filipinos into poverty bringing the total to 26.14 million.

With the ill effects of the twin calamities of Covid-19 and inflation nudging us closer and closer to the brink of ruination, what can be done to alleviate our fellow Filipinos' suffering? Charitable acts of course would be one way. But to quote a Chinese proverb, "Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man how to fish and you feed him for a lifetime."

Education is indeed the key. What is amazing is that way back before sustainability was a popular buzzword, as far back as 40 years ago, a group of like-minded business executives from the Center for Research and Communication, realizing the pressing need of the industry for more skilled workers, imbued with an intense desire to help those in need and fueled by a spiritual formation that encourages man to be Christ-like, decided to take matters in their own hands. With assistance from the Hanns Seidel Foundation of Germany, Dualtech was born.

The philosophy behind Dualtech is the adaptation in the Philippines of Germany's Dual Training System which essentially consists of combining class learning and on-the-job training for various technical and vocational courses required by industry such as electrical, refrigeration and air conditioning, building fire protection, automotive and electromechanics technology skills development over a period of 24 months. The OJT phase which is interspersed with classroom training at the Dualtech Center in Calamba, Laguna is enabled with the cooperation of partner private corporations which provide stipends to the trainees when they are on the job, and for those who make the grade, offer meaningful employment opportunities for the graduates. Dualtech, however, is not just concerned with paving the way for gainful employment but is also equally committed to imparting spiritual formation for the development of human virtues which are so crucial in one's life as we journey in a world that is constantly barraged with all sorts of challenges.

What incredibly sets Dualtech apart from other for-profit vocational schools is that the students' schooling and living expenses are primarily supported by individuals and organizations who believe in Dualtech's guiding principles of "Work shapes character. Manhood shows in Virtue. Developing Character Through Work."

Dualtech is an ardent advocate of "Zero Extreme Poverty 2030" which is a social movement of many conglomerates and foundations aimed at providing solutions on how to eliminate poverty,
particularly through educational scholarships. To date, Dualtech has graduated over 13,000 underprivileged students and has well over 300 partner corporations such as the Lao Foundation of the D&L Industries Group to thank for.

This article would not be complete without sharing the story of a typical scholar of Dualtech. Ulysis Desunia of Mariveles, Bataan, at an early age, was sent to his grandparents and had to fend for himself because his parents could not afford to care for him much less send him to school.

With the support of the Lao Foundation and the encouragement of an adoptive family, Ulysis, eager to study and learn, recently completed a two-year course in Electromechanics Technology. Ulysses is now a proud employee of the D&L Group. His story is happily not unique. There have been so many Dualtech graduates who, with the support of kind-hearted people, have been blessed with a new life.

If only the Dualtech model can be widely emulated by others, perhaps the dream of eliminating poverty can finally be realized.

Until next week… OBF!

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