Envoy, humanitarian group partner with EDC to rebuild schools

ORMOC CITY, Philippines - – Chilean ambassador to the Philippines Roberto Mayorga, in an interview today (Wednesday, December 4), said they would be rebuilding six schools in the city and the neighboring town of Kananga, in partnership with the Energy Development Corp.

He also gave his assurance that the schools they would rebuild would be better than it was before. The schools are those in Barangays Linao, Dolores, Milagro and Tongonan in Ormoc City, while the other two are Lim-ao and Tongonan, Kananga. 

The Chilean ambassador was also on his way to inspect the Ormoc Puericulture and Children’s Hospital, a 27-bed maternity and child facility that is run by a foundation.

He said the Lopez-owned EDC is a major investor in Chile and they are here to partner with the company on its effort to rebuild Ormoc and Kananga, where EDC’s biggest geothermal plants are based.

The Chilean ambassador, who preferred their visit to be low-key, was with volunteers of the group “Desafio Levantimos Chile” including singer Keko Yunge who is famous in their country. The group of volunteers has adopted the slogan “Chile Gives Back” for their Philippine effort.

In an interview with Yunge and Aaskan Wohlt of Desafio Levantimos Chile, they made it clear that they would not only rebuild the schools but also adopt a long-term program for the benefit of its pupils. “We also take care of the soul,” said the singer Yunge. “It’s going to be a long-term commitment,” he said.

Aaskan Wohlt, on the other hand, said they are now assessing the schools’ damages and would be conferring with architects and engineers in their country to design roofs that can withstand more than 300kph.

“Concrete, maybe, or better materials. Maybe the design of the roof itself,” he said. He added they might even source their materials from the United States where they also have partners.

Wohlt said that what is definite is that their track record shows “we don’t just rebuild. We rebuild and make them better than before.”

Wohlt said their group Desafio Levantimos Chile was on the forefront of rebuilding efforts in their own country when an 8.8 earthquake hit it four years ago.

Meanwhile, as his parting shot, Ambassador Mayorga said “you Filipinos are easy to smile. You should never lose that .. the ability to smile even if a disaster had just gone by.”  It was a character trait they found pleasant that in their rounds of the schools they would rebuild, they would make the children say “never give up” as they leave.