Aboitiz classroom repairs to benefit over 13,000 students

MANILA, Philippines - Aboitiz is set to start work on 200 classrooms benefitting over 13,000 students as part of its post-Yolanda rehabilitation efforts for Northern Cebu.

Aboitiz will repair about 130 classrooms and construct about 70 new ones in 28 schools based in Bogo City and San Remigio, which are among the areas hardest hit in  Northern Cebu by Typhoon Yolanda.

“We are prioritizing those that are heavily and partially damaged, as opposed to the buildings that are totally damaged, since these are the ones that could immediately be used,” said Aboitiz Foundation executive vice president and chief operating officer Sonny Carpio.

The 15 Bogo-based schools are Anonang Norte ES, Anonang Sur ES, Anonang Sur Tabaco Frasco NHS, Guadalupe ES, Dakit ES, Bogo Central School II, Bogo Central School III, Nailon ES, La Paz ES, Malingin ES, Banban ES, Banban NHS, Binabag ES, Binabag NHS, and Cayang ES; while the 13 San Remigio-based schools are Punta ES, Argawanon IS, Busogon IS, Victoria ES, Kinawahan IS, Mano ES, Lawis ES, Kayam ES, Dapdap ES, Anapog IS, Tacup ES, LambusanES, and Lambusan NHS. They have a combined student population of over 13,000 students.

Classroom repairs may include the repair and/or replacement of roofing, trusses, ceiling, masonry walls, foundation, columns and beam, electrical works (rewiring), doors, windows, blackboard, CR, flooring, painting works, and armchairs. Repaired rooms will have 6 CFL lights, 2 wall fans, red or green painted floors, jalousie windows, and moulding enclosed electrical works.

Construction will start this March and continue all the way up to the last quarter of the year. Aboitiz construction affiliate, Metaphil, was tapped to do the project to ensure that the rehabilitation project is done on time, on budget, and with the required quality. In particular, new building designs are structurally resistant to major disasters. Metaphil is a registered “Triple AAA” contractor with the Philippine Contractors Accreditation Board, and has a network which allows communication even with projects on remote locations.

Last year, the Aboitiz Group was able to raise P203 million for its relief and rehabilitation operations. Carpio said about P140 million of the total funds will be allocated for the rehabilitation of heavily and partially damaged school buildings from the 1,308 facilities in northern Cebu earlier identified by the Department of Education. Some 29,000 grade school and high school students were displaced when the calamity struck.

Donations came from its various business units namely UnionBank of the Philippines, AboitizPower, SN Aboitiz Power, Inc., and Aboitiz Foundation – including funds culled from cancelled Christmas parties, Aboitiz family, team leaders and members, external donors including actress Sharon Cuneta and other private individuals and corporations, and other donations through U-Share.

Scholarship grants

The Aboitiz group urged incoming college students to avail of its scholarship grants for school year 2014-2015.

During a luncheon meeting with various colleges and universities in Makati City Wednesday, the company announced its student programs for this year, including a curriculum-based on-the-job training and college scholarships.

The Aboitiz group formally opened the invitation to students to enroll in the Aboitiz College Scholarship Program (ACSP), which provides financial assistance that is renewable every semester, provided the scholar maintains the 85 percent general point average or its equivalent.

The on-the-job training program, on the other hand, equips students with the necessary skills and right work attitude through a curriculum-based training experience in preparation of their journey to the actual work environment.

 Aboitiz Group senior vice president and chief human resource officer Txabi Aboitiz said the company’s student programs have been developed to help the country’s future leaders establish careers that would eventually aid the country’s progress.

For more information on the program applications, students may visit careers.aboitiz.com or its Facebook account, facebook.com/AboitizCareers.

“We’re looking for scholars under the following fields: Accountancy, Business or Management, Information Technology, Engineering and Psychology,” Aboitiz said.

To date, the Aboitiz has assisted 57 scholars under its College Scholarship Program. The accompany assists an average of 20 to 30 scholars every year.

“This is just corporate. If you would include the business units of Aboitiz group, around a hundred (scholars),” Aboitiz said.