Google used to promote project to connect RP public schools

By Erwin Lemuel Oliva, INQ7.net

A PHILIPPINE-based project to promote information technology literacy among high school students has recently made use of Google to advertise its efforts.

Typing either "Filipino," "ICT," or "computers" into the Google search bar produce an advertisement for the Gearing up Internet Literacy and Access for Students or "GILAS" program.

GILAS is a recent beneficiary of Google Grants, which offers free advertising space to selected non-profit organizations on google.com. Through this Google program, GILAS was provided in-kind keyword advertising to help the project attract people to their website.

Google Grants provides keyword advertising to help non-profit organizations attract a specific target market.

"We hope to direct traffic to the GILAS website [www.gilas.org]," Julia Andrea Abad, GILAS consultant, told INQ7.net.

She said that Ayala Foundation USA facilitated the negotiation between GILAS project proponents and Google.

Gilas's objective involves connecting all 5,500 Philippine public high schools to the Internet by 2010. GILAS has already helped connect over 700 public high schools nationwide.

With Google's help, Abad said, GILAS aims to generate more public awareness of and support for its efforts by directing more traffic towards their website.

Google.com is currently one of the five most popular sites on the Internet and is used by millions of people around the world.