STA. CRUZ, DAVAO DEL SUR, Aug. 29 (PIA) – Kindergarten pupils in a remote public elementary school here have pioneered in benefiting from a newly-built and colorful school building furnished with educational facilities.
From an old wooden structure without concrete flooring, the Sibulan Elementary School at Barangay Sibulan has been accommodating since June this year some 45 kinder students in a one-storey building with two classrooms designed for a more conducive learning.
The little learners are using one classroom for their regular class sessions with new tables and chairs, books and educational toys and materials. The other classroom serves as a library filled with new story books.
The building costing to over P1 million was a donation from HedcorSibulan, Inc. as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility for operating a 42.5 mega watts run-of-river hydro power facility in the locality.
“We believe that for our business to do well, our host communities must also be properly taken care of through (providing them) sustainable development,” Hedcor President and Chief Operating Officer Rene Ronquillo said during the formal turn-over rites of the building held on August 24 this year.
Ronquillo raised the importance of working with the community particularly in improving its educational resources.
In this endeavor, HSI has partnered with the Aboitiz Foundation and the Aklat, Gabay, ArugaTungosaPag-angat at Pag-asa (AGAPP)–SilidPangarap, a foundation chaired by Presidential sister Pinky Aquino-Abellada.
The design of the kindergarten classroom painted with color mixtures of yellow, red and green was taken from the AGAPP school building standard which aims to provide a more conducive learning area and to encourage more enrollees.
AGAPP-Davao Officer Jocelyn Ledesma urged the localities to take care of the building “so that more children could benefit from it.”
Ledesma hoped that “other companies will replicate the goodness of the Aboitiz (Group of Companies)”, saying that the partnership with said firm is a good model for a Private-Public-Partnership.
Aside from Hedcor and Aboitiz Foundation, she said National Bookstore and Uratex also contributed their resources by donating books and tables and chairs.
Davao del Sur Assistant Schools Division Superintendent of the Department of Education Dee Silva and Sibulan Elementary School Head Roderick Orpilla accepted the responsibility of managing the school building and committed to take care of the property.
Kindergarten teacher Karen Batiller was also happy with this great development, saying that her pupils now are more interested, active and participative in the learning process.
Batiller said the educational materials such as books and toys are big factor for the students to learn more.
DaniloCerence, Aboitiz Foundation manager for Project Development and Management, said the partnership with AGAPP has already built 45 classrooms in 22 schools nationwide since last year.
Of all school buildings built, the one in Sibulan had the biggest costing because of the rough road, Cerence told the Philippine Information Agency.
In Mindanao, he said there were five classrooms completed last year, and ten this year.
“Moving forward, we hope that this building is not the end of the activity here,” stated Ronquillo who pledged to help improve the other school buildings at Sibulan Elementary School during the turn-over ceremony on August 24. (PIA-11/Carina L. Cayon)
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