MANILA – A volunteer organization turned to social media to create a platform to help Eastern Samar schools amid the shift to distance learning.

In just a week, Ugop PH raised some PHP40,000 to procure a photocopier machine for their first beneficiary to produce learning modules due to lack of resources.

“These are hard-to-reach communities. We want to help them produce learning materials for their students by giving them their own photocopier machines,” Shaira Joy Montes, project head of Ugop PH, said recently.

Learning modules are materials that will be used by students who cannot comply with online classes or distance learning programs due to concerns over stability of internet connection or lack of adequate devices.

Montes said some teachers of their first beneficiary, Sabang Central Elementary School in Borongan City, Eastern Samar, use their personal printers to reproduce modules to be used in the modular form of learning due to lack of resources.

The government prohibited face-to-face classes for the rest of the year due to the pandemic.

However, despite providing seminars for teachers, the shift to distance learning has brought about challenges for both teachers and learners since a stable internet connection remains a huge problem, especially in the provinces.

“In response, institutions are producing learning modules or course packs. They are faced with complex financial and material difficulties,” Montes said.

The group, composed of University of the Philippines, University of Santo Tomas and Polytechnic University of the Philippines alumni based in the United States and Manila, hopes to raise more funds to procure printers and school supplies for their school beneficiaries.

Here’s a link to their page for those who want to extend help: facebook.com/ugopPH