KISS Model to be Replicated in the Philippines: Mr. Rufus B. Rodriguez

By Chitta Ranjan Beura

Bhubaneswar, Dec 2: “I shall file a bill in Congress that will mirror the noble endeavour of Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS) in the Philippines and establish a school dedicated to providing free education to individuals from indigenous communities in the country”, said Mr. Rufus B. Rodriguez, Hon’ble Member of the House of Representatives of the Philippines. Addressing 40,000 indigenous students of KISS in a special programme, he said, KISS truly inspired him and he would soon move legislation in his country to establish the KISS model.

He lauded the initiatives of Dr. Achyuta Samanta, Founder, KIIT & KISS for championing the cause of the tribal communities and empowering thousands of indigenous children through free education. He also invited Dr. Samanta to the Philippines and shared his valuable insights for setting up the proposed institute.

Invoking Mahatma Gandhi and his teaching, he said that KISS and Dr. Samanta are shining examples of offering selfless dedication and service to society. Mahatma Gandhi’s philosophy on social service is truly reflected in KISS, he added.

Expressing his gratitude, he said, there has been a good relationship between India and the Philippines for many years. There is a similarity between the culture and tradition of India and the Philippines. The name ‘Kalinga’ is synonymous with the Philippines, as the ‘State of Kalinga’ is the name of one of the states. In his welcome address, Dr. Samanta spoke about the yeomen services provided by KISS for empowering the tribals and realizing the cherished dreams of the tribal children. Among others, Pro-Chancellor KISS-DU Prof. Amareshwar Galla; Vice Chancellor Prof. Deepak Kumar Behera; Registrar Dr. P. K. Routray, and other senior functionaries of KISS were present.