Northern Marianas Pinoys want to donate schools but...

SAIPAN, Northern Marianas — The Department of Labor and Employment has kicked off a program to ease the country’s classroom shortage by seeking donations from Filipino overseas workers.

However, while many want to help their own country, they are wary that it might be used to gain political mileage, with next year’s presidential election now only months away.

Last Sunday, Labor Undersecretary Manuel Imson arrived in Saipan, the main island of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, to seek pledges from the 40,000-strong Filipino community. The CNMI, about 1,500 kilometers east of Manila, is a US-administered territory near Guam.

Nelida Atalig, president of the United Filipino Organizations, said many at the meeting with Imson thought the idea was good but had reservations.

They were uneasy about the program’s name, Classrooms Galing sa Mamamayang Pilipino Abroad (Classrooms from Filipinos Overseas) or CGMA, of which the last three letters are President Arroyo’s initials.

Eyebrows rose even more when the program’s video presentation ended with "Mabuhay CGMA" or "Long live CGMA," which also sounds "Long live GMA" if phonetically read in Filipino.

Filipino-American Fe Calixterio, a long time educator from the University of the Philippines, said the project shows "glaring political color."

"It’s very good idea, a bright idea. But to me and everybody else, there’s a very heavy political overture. It should not be the case because this is sweat and blood of Filipinos," said Calixterio, who hails from the Ilocos region.

"People said it can be done easily. Others don’t agree. Likewise, some think that it’s political although Mr. Imson says it won’t be used for politics," said Atalig.

"Filipino communities abroad can do it. They will give to such a worthy project but politicians are taking advantage of it. That’s the problem. Why call it CGMA? They better change that because it’s very obvious," complained one Filipino expatriate, who requested anonymity.

Atalig doubted the program would be of much help because it will only run for a year up to June 2004. "One year is short for a good program. What would happen to those collected funds which may be ready after June next year?"

"We don’t know if the next president will support the program," Imson said. "It’s OK if the President remains the president."

The Philippine consulate said Imson’s meeting resulted in 14 pledges and four commitments from several individuals and groups.

The donate-a-classroom project aims to build 10,000 classrooms by June 2004. A $4,000 donation to the project is enough to build a standard-size classroom. Other individuals, groups or private companies may also make donations.

Government statistics show that each classroom in public schools has as much as 80 to 200 students while the ideal class size is 20 to 30 students.

Because of the severe shortage some classes are held even under trees. Some schools have morning and evening classes to ease the shortage.

There are about seven million Filipinos working in over a dozen countries. Most are in the United States and the Middle East.

Lack of jobs and better pay force an average of 2,000 Filipinos each month to seek greener pastures abroad.

The government depends heavily on the money they remit to their families back home — which reaches at least $7 billion annually — to prop up the country’s sluggish economy.

Their contribution and sacrifices had prompted the government to declare them as the Philippines’ modern-day heroes.

As recognition, Congress earlier this year passed an absentee voting law that now enables Filipinos overseas to vote for the first time in national elections back home.