Koronadal City (8 December) -- The vision to make Tampakan in South Cotabato one of the most literate municipalities in the region by 2010 continues to make good progress, stressed Community Development Information Officer Efren Villarina.

The local government unit of Tampakan, the Department of Education – Tampakan, and Sagittarius Mines Inc. (SMI) continue to bring education within the grasp of indigent children living outside the communities hosting SMI's Coal Exploration Project through the Expanded Education Support Program (EESP).

To date, the EESP has 1,835 grantees composed of 130 pupils per school in the 12 elementary schools, and 25 students in each barangay from the 11 barangays throughout the municipality, Villarina revealed.

Aside from the EESP, SMI provides scholarships through its Special Education Support Program to grade school, high school and college students in the SOCKSARGEN area who excel in academics, sports and the arts.

SMI, together with the tribal foundations and barangay councils within the communities hosting the Tampakan Project, also support the education of 2,734 students from elementary to college.