NGCP brings new hope to Leyte students

MANILA, Philippines - Students of the Governor E. Jaro Elementary School in Babatngon, Leyte did not mind standing under the scorching heat of the sun with occasional rainshowers in the morning of March 28. 

Everybody was waiting for the much-anticipated inauguration of their new school building which took three months to reconstruct.

The previous building was constructed before World War II and was destroyed during the Japanese occupation in 1944.

It was renovated in 1955, but was damaged anew when typhoon “Frank” wreaked havoc in northeastern Leyte in 2008. Due to lack of funds, the school has not been repaired since then.

In spite of these circumstances, students persevered and continued going to the rundown school – all for the sake of quality education, regardless of the dilapidated state of the building.

Now, the days of studying under unsafe conditions are finally over. The P1.5-million project for the rehabilitation and refurbishment of the two-classroom, one-story school building of the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) now gives brighter future to more than 300 elementary students of the Governor E. Jaro Elementary School.

Leyte Vice Gov. Mimyet Bagulaya, Babatngon Mayor Charita Chan, Department of Education representatives and NGCP officials grace the unveiling of the new school building’s marker.

As part of its corporate social responsibility program for its host communities, the NGCP spearheaded the project and sponsored building repairs to provide much needed classrooms to accommodate more student enrollees.

The school is situated in the same barangay that hosts one of NGCP’s substations in Leyte.

Graced by Leyte Vice Gov. Mimyet Bagulaya, Mayor Charita Chan, Department of Education representatives and NGCP officials, the students, parents, teachers and staff of the school witnessed not only the unveiling of the marker of the new building but the unveiling of new hope and the unfolding of their dreams taking one step to realization each day.