Teaching the Regional Development Plan

Making students aware of the Eastern Visayas Regional Development Plan (RDP), 2011-2016 is a way of ensuring that the Plan is understood by key members of the community.

Given that the RDP is a source of ideas for a lot of subjects which are taken up in college, formally integrating it into the curriculum through selected subjects can significantly enhance learning that is relevant to the community where the students live.

In the case of the RDP for Eastern Visayas, the main thrusts are on strategies, programs and projects that promote tourism, agri-business and information and communications technology.

Three state universities in Eastern Visayas are integrating the RDP in subjects in the courses in Tourism, Agribusiness and Information Technology this second semester of 2011-2012.

The technique used by the module writers was to include in the course syllabus strategies in the RDP and giving the students tasks which not only enabled them to be familiar with the RDP but to undertake activities where even in a small way, they can contribute to the three thrusts.

There will both be awareness and application of skills in a way that will contribute to regional development. Tourism students will make a tour destination development plan. Agri-business students will prepare farm plans. IT students will prepare websites for tourism and agri-business firms.

The universities which are in the pilot stage of this integration process are the Leyte Normal University (for tourism), the Visayas State University (for agri-business) and the Eastern Visayas State University (for Information Technology).

Around 150 students per university are currently participating in this pilot-testing phase. Large scale (all other state universities and colleges in Eastern Visayas) adoption of this RDP integration will be done next school year based on the evaluation of the pilot-testing.

It is heartening to note that learning here is not only to acquire skills but to be able to contribute to the development of Eastern Visayas.

In the light of the need to help the region, this effort ranks as among the most noble and noteworthy that students can undertake while in college.