KCFI Shares Best Practices at 2017 Global Peace Convention

Being the first and only curriculum-based educational channel in the Philippines, Knowledge Channel Foundation Inc. (KCFI) had the opportunity to share its programs and projects with hundreds of educators, students, and delegates from different countries during the 2017 Global Peace Convention held last March 1, 2017 at the Marriot Grand Ballroom in Pasay City. Speakers representing KCFI were president Rina Lopez-Bautista and Director of Operations Edric Calma.

Lopez-Bautista delivered a talk on how Knowledge Channel impacted communities through media, educational technology and digital learning. “We bring learning to public schools through televisions, multi-media resources, teacher training,” said Lopez-Bautista. “We’ve brought this to more than 6,000 public schools, from the northernmost municipality of the Philippines, Itbayat, Batanes, to the southernmost municipality of the Philippines, Sitangkay, Tawi-tawi.”

Bringing Peace Through ETV

Lopez-Bautista also highlighted the story of Avocado Elementary School in Negros Oriental. The school was situated in an area stirred by armed conflict in the past. “There was a time you will not see children gathered [together] because of the local conflict. They would mostly hide and keep quiet so they wouldn’t be detected by enemies.”

With the help of KCFI and Principal Monica Sison, a satellite dish and television set was brought and installed in the school. “We arrived in this community bringing with us the satellite dish and television set so this remote school, would have access to more than thousands educational episodes, videos aired by the Knowledge Channel,” Lopez-Bautista shared. “But for this community, we did not bring just technology; we brought hope, we brought love.”

Promoting Evironmental Conservation

In the afternoon session, Edric Calma delivered a short talk on how Knowledge Channel Foundation is helping conserve the environment through educational shows like Puno ng Buhay, Mi Isla and other shows. “When we develop materials for the public school system, we put in critical issues relevant to the Filipino learners,” Calma said. “These themes include education, good governance, population, health, peace, and environmental protection.”

Calma also presented some video clips about the environment which aired on Knowledge Channel. One of these was from Mi Isla, a show that revolved around a community living in Verde Island passage in the Philippines, home to one of the most diverse marine ecosystems in the world. “Everyone must do his or her part in environmental protection,” Calma said. “When it comes to issues like this, the Knowledge Channel Foundation teaches learners how to care for the environment by developing a video episode or series.”

The Global Peace Convention is an annual gathering of global leaders from different sectors sharing best practices and developing collaborative strategies in areas of education, health care, environmental sustainability, community-driven development, and conflict resolution.

Text by: Michael Ramos