Graduates of the city government?s literacy program have expressed gratitude to Mayor Celso Lobregat and the city government for providing them the opportunity to study basic skills in reading and writing and helping them ensure a brighter future.

At least 249 Muslim women adults formally completed yesterday a month long training on Reading, Arithmetic and Writing (3Rs) initiated by the city government of Zamboanga and the Magbassa Kitta Foundation Inc. (MKFI) through a program dubbed Community Empowerment through Literacy for Social Opportunities (CELSO).

Mia Cinco of Baliwasan who spoke on behalf of the graduates said the program initiated by Mayor Lobregat provides them the opportunity to be more productive citizens even though they are already middle aged.

?Gracias gayot kay por medio de este programa ya puede kame aprende lee y escribi maskin de edad ya kame?, Cinco said during the graduation rites held at the Red Cross training center yesterday afternoon.

Mayor Lobregat for his part said the program will give the adult learners greater opportunities in the society. He lauded them for their interest and enthusiasm in undertaking the month long training.

The program is one of Mayor Lobregat?s efforts to promote Muslim-Christian relationship in the city and covers at least 12 Muslim-dominated barangays. It seeks to raise the level of literacy of adults and out of school youths and to help augment family income through the integration of livelihood development and skills training into the project.

The CELSO program adopts the Project Magbassa Kita concept which has been tested for effectiveness in transforming a pre-literate into a functionally literate individual in a month?s time. The project also provides the new literates with marketable skills.

The project consists of two phases?phase I teaches pre-literates to read and write by using the phonosyllabic method piloted by Senator Rasul where lessons include market-accounting or basic arithmetic, lectures on different topics such as health care, values, laws and government are also included; the phase II is programmed to provide the new literates with marketable skills or training in income generating projects.

The graduates come from the barangays of Recodo, Labuan, Cawit, Sta. Barbara, Sta. Catalina, Baliwasan, Campo Islam, Mariki, Rio Hondo, Mampang, Arena Blanco and Taluksangay.

Each barangay had at least 20 students who were trained based on the module of the Magbassa Kita program where adult Muslim women learn about the 3 Rs. The training, which ran from February 15 to April 27 and implemented through the City Social Welfare and Development Office, was supervised by trainors who were trained for the purpose.

Present during the graduation ceremony yesterday were Councilors Rudy Lim, Noning Biel, Jimmy Cabato and Gerky Valesco and City Social Welfare Officer Francisco Barredo, City Health Officer Rodelin Agbulos and a representative of former Sen. Santanina Rasul.

Also present were council aspirants Myra Abubakar, Josephine Pareja, Kaiser Olaso and Bong Atilano and several others.