Pagcor builds 50 Sibol Kindergarten classrooms

MANILA, Philippines - Incoming pre-schoolers from various parts of the country have more reasons to be happy with the opening of classes this June.

The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor) has funded the construction of 50 new classrooms in selected public elementary schools nationwide.

“We will have 50 Sibol Kindergarten classrooms ready for the opening of school year 2012-2013. Based on the May 16, 2012 progress report submitted to us by GK Foundation, a total of 25 Sibol classrooms have already been turned over to their respective public schools, and about 11 are ready for turnover. The remaining 14 are due for completion prior to the start of classes on June 4,” said Pagcor chairman and CEO Cristino Naguiat Jr.

The construction of the Sibol Kindergarten classrooms, which began in February, is being carried out by Pagcor in partnership with the Department of Education (DepEd) and Gawad Kalinga (GK) Community Development Foundation.

According to Naguiat, Pagcor allocated P65 million for the construction of 100 learning centers in communities nationwide which GK serves.

GK volunteers help build the classrooms while the DepEd will manage the schools upon completion of the construction.

“Apart from the 50 Sibol Kindergarten classrooms in public schools, the second phase of the project will cover the construction of another 25 Sibol classrooms and 25 Tambayani Centers for out-of-school youths in GK communities or sites,” Naguiat said.

The Sibol Kindergarten classrooms are part of the agency’s “Matuwid na Daan sa Silid-Aralan” project.

“We have initially allocated P1 billion for this project. It intends to address the education sector’s perennial problem on classroom shortage by building 1,000 classrooms nationwide,” Naguiat said.

Naguiat added: “Pagcor fully supports the government’s efforts to build more learning structures not only to provide additional literacy centers for the youth, but also to uplift the quality of education in the country. We believe that the students will be able to learn faster if they hold classes in comfortable classrooms such as the ones we are building.”

Each 63-square-meter Sibol classroom, which costs about P650,000, adopts the “green architecture,” making use of vertically extended roof spaces for natural lighting and adequate ventilation, and has its own comfort room and lavatory.

Eric Jason Salvino, GK area coordinator in the Bicol region, said a lot of public elementary schools, such as those in Bicol, direly need additional classrooms.

Based on DepEd’s records, at least 66,000 additional classrooms are needed to accommodate the burgeoning number of students in kindergarten, elementary and secondary public schools nationwide.

Salvino said having additional pre-school classrooms is timely since kindergarten has now become an integral part of the basic educational system in the country under Republic Act 10157.

Meanwhile, Rene Rieta, GK regional coordinator for southeastern Mindanao, expressed his appreciation to Pagcor for its active support to the government’s efforts to make education accessible to those living in far-flung communities.

“The Sibol learning centers will help many of our students a lot. We hope to build more of these through Pagcor’s help so that no public pre-school pupil would have to endure attending classes in makeshift structures again,” Rieta said.

The 14 Pagcor-funded Sibol Kindergarten classrooms in Camarines Norte and Camarines Sur, Antique, Negros Oriental and Occidental, Cebu, Leyte, Eastern Samar, Southern Leyte, Surigao del Sur and Davao City are awaiting completion by end of this month.