MANILA — As the Knowledge Channel Foundation Inc. (KCFI) turns 24, it looks back on its contributions to the Philippine education system over the past two decades.

Founded in 1999, KCFI has been a critical pillar in advancing education in the country, specifically for marginalized communities.

Rina Lopez, co-founder, president, and executive director of KCFI shared that the organization's main objective is to help children and teachers by harnessing the resources of Sky Cable and ABS-CBN through its channel, Knowledge Channel.

"May channel, may mga satellite dishes, may mga production facilities. Yun ang nakita naming pamamaraan kung paano talaga makatulong sa mga bata," Lopez said.

"Sa pag-research at sa paglibot namin sa iba't ibang paaralan, kailangan talaga ng mga video resources ng mga bata sa schools," she added.

Over the years, the organization has provided support to more than 11,000 public schools nationwide, including those in far-flung areas, and created more than 2,000 video lessons, covering K-12, and child development centers, specifically for 3 to 4-year-olds.

"We are also able to reach yung mga alternative learning system centers para hindi siya formal schooling. (JC) We've also been training teachers, principals and child development center workers, mga magulang, mga barangay workers all over the country," said Lopez.

KCFI believes that providing a strong foundation for children in their early years is critical to their success in later stages and even in the workforce.

"We started with K-12, but we realized that even in Grade 4, the children were not learning as much or as well as they should have because they did not learn their lessons well in the earlier grades so we went back down grade 1 to 3," shared Lopez.

She went on, "So ngayon, gumagawa kami ng video lessons, mga English, Filipino, Math, para matuto sila nang mas mabuti."

As KCFI moves forward, it aims to do more and improve the delivery of its service. Among the plans are to set up an award-giving body to recognize excellent teachers and to partner with more schools and child development centers to bring Knowledge Channel to more areas in need.

The organization is also encouraging donations, volunteerism, and internships to help sustain its video production efforts.

As KCFI celebrates its 24th anniversary, it remains steadfast in its mission to be an instrument of change in Philippine education and to be a beacon of hope for the country's future generations.

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