Kabayanihan builds classrooms in Mindoro

MANILA, Philippines - Kabayanihan Foundation (KF) founder and chairman emeritus Alex Lacson was the guest of honor at the ribbon-cutting ceremony of the new classroom for the Daan Elementary School in Brgy. Villareal in Socorro, Oriental Mindoro, donated in memory of barangay chairman So King Hui and initiated by the KF.

Kabayani Gerardo Gamez grew up in this barangay and he experienced firsthand the difficulty of not having enough classrooms for students. When he was in grade five, he remembered sharing the same classroom with other grade levels and studying while rain waters flooded the room. As part of the advocacy on education and community development of KF, he decided to help give back to the community by helping them build a classroom.

The turnover ceremony began with a performance of the Socorro Hymn and the Mindoro March by grades 4 and 5 students. The school principal Merlene Fabregas and district supervisor Celestina Patulot thanked the donors, saying they hope that more individuals and organizations will take interest in helping schools provide the facilities the students need.

A donation from Robert So of Ecotech Systems Inc. helped build the classroom structure while the Alpha Kappa Rho Alumni Council provided the tables and chairs for the students. Other donors helped complete the classroom painting and provided other amenities.

In the spirit of true bayanihan, parents and students worked together to build the classroom before the next school year begins this June.

Lacson shared his own experience as a student coming from a provincial elementary school. Although it can be difficult, he pointed out that the experience molded him into the man he is today.

“There are a lot of great leaders and successful men and women who studied in schools similar to Daan Elementary,” he said. “I hope that the next great businessmen, leaders or even the next president would come from the classroom that we’ve built here.”

Kabayanihan Foundation believes that every Filipino is a kabayani – isang kabayan na isa ring bayani (a fellowman/woman who is also a hero).

In response to the shortage of almost 152,000 classrooms reported by the Department of Education, KF hopes to bring together individual and group donors with the goal of building more classrooms around the country.

For more information, visit www.kabayanihan.org or email [email protected].