AGAPP donates school building in Cagayan

BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya, Philippines – A foundation led by Presidential sister Pinky Aquino-Abellada turned over to the Department of Education (DepEd) a two-room pre-school building for the Carig Elementary School in northern Cagayan province on Tuesday.

Abellada, head of the Aklat, Gabay, Aruga tungo sa Pag-angat at Pag-asa (AGAPP) Foundation Inc., said the new school facility was funded by the foundation’s “Silid Pangarap” project, in partnership with private firms such as Smart Telecommunications, National Book Store and Uratex.

According to the Philippine Information Agency regional office, the building was the first funded by the foundation in Cagayan Valley. It is one of the nearly 100 pre-school classroom buildings, which the foundation already built throughout the country.

“We promised to the Department of Education to help build 100 classrooms this year but as early this month, we have already reached 90 percent so I guess we will exceed our target for the whole year,” Abellada said.

She said that their foundation, those behind it are mostly President Aquino’s classmates and friends, envisions to build 2,000 such buildings by the end of the President’s term in 2016.  

“The foundation’s thrust is to augment the need for such facilities in the pursuit of attaining quality education in the country through the Aquino administration’s private-public partnership thrust,” she said.

Abellada added the project is very timely as the K+12 program of the DepEd is now in place, and pre-school is now within its jurisdiction.   – Charlie Lagasca