Seeing the need for an improved educational system in a rural community like Pilar, a program called the Pilar Integrated Educational Support Program (PIESUP) was conceived through the collective efforts of the LGU officials and other private and civic organizations in the area. Since its inception in 1988, PIESUP has been gearing towards the upliftment of the quality of life of Pilarenos by providing educational opportunities to poor but deserving students from preschool to college levels, and skills enrichment trainings to out-of-school youths and adults in the hope of producing a new breed of dynamic and responsible citizenry.

The PIES UP has four major components: a) the scholarship program which offers scholarship to poor but deserving high school graduates of the municipality; b) the manpower development program in collaboration with the National Manpower and Youth Council which provides short-term vocational and technical courses for out-of-school youths and adults; c) preschoolers' program where preschoolers are trained on the montessori-type of education and d) advanced learning program where special classes are conducted to elementary and high school honor pupils to enable them to fare competitively with their private or urban- educated counterparts.

Presenty, the PIESUP has 1,127 beneficiaries. Seventy two percent of these are under the manpower development program, 11% under the scholarship program, 8% under the preschoolers' program, and 9% under the advanced learning program.

Pilarenos now have reasons to be confident and optimistic for they hold something that assures them of a better future. What the PIESUP has imparted to them is the consciousness that among other things, a good education is an essential aspect of development and that knowledge is every community's wealth and strength. It will not be very long before Pilar becomes one of the most progressive municipalities in the whole province of Sorsogon.

This program is recognized as a Trailblazing Program, a finalist for the 1994 Galing Pook Awards.