AN EDUCATOR from San Carlos City became the pride of the Ilocos-Pangasinan region with his selection as one of the recipients of the national awards for volunteerism

Dr. Edwin Ferrer, the Region 1 awardee for volunteerism, received the national award for outstanding volunteer - adult category in the 2007 Search for Outstanding Volunteers during awards ceremonies held at Shangrila, Mandaluyong City.

Ferrer, who spent his free time educating people coming from the different sectors of society, received his award from President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

Through the Alternative Learning System (ALS) of the Department of Education, Ferrer reached out to parolees, probationers and the pardonees; gave street children the opportunity to study;; the market vendors, the privilege to enhance their number skills and the senior citizens, the chance to prove that they can still be valuable members of the society.
]
Through the program PRIDE (Probationer, Parolees and Pardonees Reformation and Improvements through Development Education) which he authored, more than 300 inmates in San Carlos City were benefited.

They were provided with social services through literacy training, cultural awareness, health and sanitation, welfare services, sports/recreation program, gender and development and values formation; economic services through livelihood training, and agricultural services through integrated farming system, promotion of high value crops and livestock/vegetable program.

Keynote speaker during the ceremony was Antonio Meloto, national president of Gawad Kalinga. (PNA)