Aboitizes tapped for north Cebu rehab

CEBU, Philippines - To prepare for the next school year this June, the Department of Education has sought the help of private organizations in repairing and rebuilding classrooms in typhoon-hit areas of northern Cebu.

Yesterday, DepEd, represented no less than Secretary Armin Luistro, signed a memorandum of agreement with the Aboitiz Foundation Inc. (AFI), the corporate social development arm of the Aboitiz Group, together with the municipality of San Remigio and the city of Bogo yesterday morning.

Through its Aboitiz North Cebu Post Yolanda School Rehabilitation Project, AFI aims to repair 130 classrooms and construct 70 new classrooms that would benefit 13,000 elementary and high school students in worst-hit areas in northern Cebu such as Bogo, San Remigio and Medellin town.

Aside from signing an agreement, the Aboitiz Group also officially broke ground its first three-storey school building in Argawanon Integrated School in San Remigio.

Luistro said there are 3,000 classrooms that need to be replaced while another 13, 000 have to be repaired in Regions 4, 6, 7 and 8 after super typhoon Yolanda struck last Nov. 8.

He said that the national government approved a P14-billion budget to DepEd for 2014 to replace old classrooms nationwide, but this was before Yolanda devastated several provinces in the Visayas.

Luistro said DepEd realigned funds but they were not enough to attend to the damaged and destroyed school buildings, which was why private sector assistance like that provided by AFI proved invaluable.

He said it is good to note that replacing the 3,000 classrooms are to be undertaken by the private sector.  Repair of the 13,000 rooms, on the other hand, would be done using the funds allocated for DepEd.

The DepEd secretary said construction of one-storey classrooms is to be completed by May 31,  in time for the opening of classes on June 2, while multi-storey school buildings, which take longer to construct, would have to be done as soon as possible.

He admitted there may be a slight delay in repairing and rebuilding the northern Cebu classrooms since the government has come up with new building standards for resiliency.

"The school building has be resilient for up to an intensity 9 earthquake and can withstand up to 250 wind velocity for its roofing," Luistro said.

He said repairing a classroom could cost up to P400,000.

AFI chairman Erramon Aboitiz, on the other hand, said that school rehabilitation would be budgeted P140 million they would source from the P225 million cash donations raised through their #BangonVisayas campaign, which was supported by close to 5,000 Aboitiz members and volunteers.

Days after Yolanda struck, the Aboitiz Group also mobilized massive relief operations, and conducted re-electrification projects in calamity-hit areas through its Aboitiz Power distribution utilities.

Metaphil, the construction unit of the Aboitiz Group, was chosen as lead contractor of the school rehabilitation project to ensure that the classrooms are completed on time, done within the budget,  and that they all meet the required quality and standard specifications.

Aboitiz said that they are coordinating with the local government units to in hiring workers from among the Yolanda survivors in building and repairing the classrooms to provide them an additional income source.

Two weeks ago, the Aboitiz family foundation Ramon Aboitiz Foundation, Inc. (RAFI) also inked a memorandum of agreement for a post-Yolanda school rehabilitation program and day care center construction and rehabilitation with a budget of P247 million.

In particular, the project includes the repair of 50 classrooms and 12 day care centers and the construction of 134 new classrooms and eight day care centers in Daanbantayan and the municipalities of Bantayan, Madridejos, and Santa Fe in Bantayan island.

Aboitiz Equity Ventures chairman and RAFI Board of Trustees member Jon Ramon Aboitiz said the total relief and rehabilitation efforts of both AFI and RAFI reached up to P683 million.

Overall, the Aboitiz Group plans to build and repair a total of 384 classrooms to benefit 21,800 students in 79 schools in northern Cebu, with a total combined rehabilitation funds amounting to P387 million.

Aboitiz aimed to complete all construction and rehabilitation of classrooms and day care centers by the last quarter of this year. (FREEMAN)