KLIKme History

The idea of using technology to bring learning resources to the masses was proven effective with the higher passing rate of E-SKWELA learners who took the ALS test over the rest of the ALS test takers.

E-SKWELA is the very first information and communications technology (ICT) in education intervention for the alternative learning system in the country.  It had such a wide room for pioneering innovations and experimentation.

The E-SKWELA Project Manager, Melizza Tan, and E-SKWELA Project Sites Coordinator, Ave Mejia, helped KLIKme in our early days and shared with us their critical learnings from the E-SKWELA project which served as the inspiration for the KLIKme model.   

E-SKWELA was initiated in 2006 by the CICT and over two years, they set up four learning centers all over the Philippines (Quezon City, San Jose Del Monte, Cebu City Cagayan de Oro) where  approximately 600 out-of-school youths were able to access learning materials online and pass the DepEd's accreditation and  equivalency program.  Unfortunately when the funding ran out, the program stopped temporarily.  It has now  been reactovated and has produced e-learning ALS modules from which KLIKme is now building.

KLIK Akademy was started in 2010 by Congressman Freddie Tinga and over a three-year period, more than 10,000 people were trained in community-based technology training programs in Taguig, Navotas, Bulacan, and Cavite, in collaboration with MINT College.  

KLIK Akademy sought to create parity in the education system by bringing the latest technology courses to the marginalized, giving people access to quality training and education that used to be available only to those that could afford it. 

Inspired by the success of KLIK AKADEMY, Congressman Freddie Tinga conceptualized KLIK ESKUELA with Light Tomorrow Foundation and explored the idea of bringing the classroom to the communities and making education more accessible to disadvantaged communities.  

In 2013, GKONOMICS was approached by Congressman Tinga and was requested to take on KLIK ESKUELA to grow it into a sustainable social enterprise. 

"You guys think out of the box and that is what we need for KLIK ESKUELA.  Please see what you can do with it," said Cong. Tinga to GKONOMICS. 

At first, GKONOMICS declined involvement because education was not their forte, but then  GKONOMICS realized that breaking the cycle of poverty could only happen with education and they accepted the challenge to develop KLIK and find a way to make it work and realize the vision of an educated and productive Philippine citizenry..

Started in 2014 by founders, Freddie Tinga, Rose Cabrera, Pinky Poe, and Tetet Dy, KLIK ESKUELA was a novel approach to schooling, using computers in home-based learning centers and applying a community franchise business model.  

We were subsequently joined by investors  Dr. Carlos Capati, Dr. Garcia, Dino Pineda, and Tony Olaes.  Computer-based lessons were developed and animated by a group of animators at MINT College. 

Despite already having at least 12 community franchisees, the original plan to roll out KLIK ESKUELA in a number of communities nationwide was met with so many challenges that only one KLIK ESKUELA center was opened in Clark, Pampanga in 2014.  

The KLIK team had to pivot when it became clear that another sector of Filipino youth was in far greater need of opportunities to continue schooling and earn a living in order to break the cycle of poverty. These are our Out-of-School Youth (OSY).  

See story:

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?vanity=GKonomics&set=a.10153497333028198

Funding from Ivy Almario allowed GKONOMICS to set up KLIKme pilot programs in two disdvantaged communities:  Payatas in QC and Smokey Mountain/ Paradise Heights in Manila.  

ALS review, life skills trainings, and technical skills trainings were conducted in these communities from 2016-2018 in Smokey Mountain and from 2016-2020 in Payatas.

This allowed the KLIKme team to gain valuable lessons that are now helping in the development of the KLIKme  Mobile App and planning for KLIKme Life Camps and skills training programs.

See stories about Ivy Almario's generosity:

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?vanity=GKonomics&set=a.10154446245538198

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?vanity=GKonomics&set=a.10154544081603198

Dualtech Learning Center  is located in Canlubang, Laguna and has adopted the German learning system.  Students have a six-month intensive classroom technical electro-mechanical skills training and then 18 months on-the-job training with companies who eventually hire them. 

Dualtech has been operating for more than 38 years and has successfully graduated thousands of young men and have helped them become productive members of society.  Dualtech is said to have 100% guaranteed employment for all its graduates.

KLIKme is trying to learn from Dualtech’s almost 100% employment rate for their graduates  through its On-the-Job Training program. 

In February 2016, KLIKme participated in a UNESCO Asia Education Summit in Bangkok, Thailand, learning best practices on flexible learning strategies from many different countries.

From the Summit, we saw how education problems persist 50 years later, emhasizing the need for innovative solutions (such as KLIKme).

The Bank of Philippine Islands Foundation (BPI) awarded a grant to GKONOMICS in 2018 to support KLIKme Trainings as part of its “Financial Education in a Box” Program.  In addition, Bayan Volunteers

from BPI gave our KLIKme learners a number of Life Skills Training sessions (Financial Resiliency, Conversational English, Grooming, Hygiene, Proper Attire)  as well as Technical Skills Training in MS Word and MS Excel..

Over the years, KLIKme established meaningful collaborations with other organizations like Plan International and Cross Fields International.

Cross Fields sent anl IT professional who volunteered and worked on KLIKme's Mobile App infrastructure.

Globe Telecom and Macquarie 

donated laptops and desktop computers.

 KLIKme has been working with the US Agency for International Development on their USAID "Opportunity 2.0" Program.   

The KLIKme Payatas community was selected as a site for implementation of their Life Skills Self Directed Learning Modules (one of 12 cities selected nationwide).

KLIKme has been exploring ways on how to ensure that KLIKme learners and ALS passers will be hired or at least placed in on-the-job training (OJT) opportunities.  

Philippine Business for Education (PBEd) allowed consultation about an OJT training program for KLIKme.  We consulted with Galing Pinoy, a social enterprise that provides employment opportunities to the disadvantaged,  to learn from their OJT program as well. 

KLIKme also met with prospective employers and companies, as well as an online jobs portal, to explore how to best set up some kind of internship or OJT program for KLIK learners.  It is work in progress.