NGO turns over school building

CEBU, Philippines - Presidential sister Pinky Aquino Abellada attended yesterday's turnover of a pre-school building to the Jaclupan Elementary School (JES) in Talisay City.

The two-classroom-cum library building was constructed in November last year through the efforts of Aklat, Gabay at Aruga tungo sa Pag-angat at Pag-asa (AGAPP) in which Abellada is chairman.

The construction meanwhile was funded by San Miguel Foundation, Inc (SMFI) through AGAPP.

Clad in a yellow blouse and black pants, Abellada arrived in a coaster together with some AGAPP people.

First district Rep. Eduardo Gullas, Mayor Socrates Fernandez, Vice Mayor Alan Bucao, and city and barangay officials greeted her as she entered the school campus.

In a brief speech shortly before the ceremonial cutting of ribbon and blessing of the new building, she told the school children about the importance of education which she described as "treasure" that could not be stolen, the same message her late father-Senator Benigno Aquino told them while he was incarcerated.

The classrooms have books in them already, apart from chairs and other fixtures found inside a learning facility.

Carmille Buenaventura, executive director of SMFI, said the project being part of their social corporation responsibility is their third in Cebu alone in partnership with AGAPP.

She said SMFI has already committed 100 school buildings all over the country, and so far, three have been turned over in Cebu, one in Jaclupan Elementary School and another in public schools in the cities of Mandaue and Cebu each.

These three new school buildings along with two others, one each in Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu City, were opened yesterday.

Each school costs more than P600,000, she said.

Meanwhile, Woodrow Denuyo, DepEd Talisay City District Superintendent, said JES was picked from among the schools he sent to AGAPP as beneficiary to the project.

The school began construction in November last year, and Abellada thanked the Department of Education for its support.

Before the new building was opened, Haraliza Ofredo, the school principal, said 108 pre-schoolers held classes in one of the old classrooms.

And now that the AGAPP building has been opened, the children would be divided into four groups, with the first two to hold classes at the same time, and the rest will hold their two-hour sessions after the first two groups are through with theirs.

Meanwhile, Denuyo said another building, funded by DepED is set to be finished within the year, and this will then house the new enrollees. (FREEMAN)