School gets typhoon, quake resilient building

CEBU, Philippines -  A ‘typhoon and earthquake-resilient’ two-storey building was turned over yesterday by the Security Bank Foundation to the Tipolo National High School.

Rafael Sempao Jr., chairman of the Security Bank Foundation, turned over the P5.6 million worth building to Department of Education Mandaue Schools Superintendent Virginia Zapanta and Marilou Balansag, the principal of the Tipolo National High School.

Sempao said that they can attest that the school building is typhoon and earthquake resilient since the two-storey buildings they donated to Jagobiao National High School and Basak National High School endured the 7.2- magnitude earthquake and super typhoon Yolanda last year.

 After the said calamities, Sempao said they did an ocular inspection of the buildings which did not show any cracks.   Sempao added that they are always open to a Public-Private Partnership with Mandaue City because they find it easy to deal with the city government.

The event yesterday was also witnessed by Mayor Jonas Cortes and Carmela Oracion, the executive director of the Ateneo de Manila Center for Educational Development. During the turnover ceremony, Zapanta said that with the help extended by the foundation, it will decongest the total number of students who are cramped inside in one classroom.

 Mayor Cortes, for his part, said that the Tipolo National High School should have at least 26 classrooms in order to come-up with the ideal ratio of one classroom for every 45 students.

 Before yesterday’s turnover, the school only had 16 classrooms. The new building will add four more classrooms.

 Meanwhile, Oracion said that Ateneo de Manila has extended its help to give further academic trainings to the teachers of Tipolo National High School.

 He said that the academic trainings will be extended for free to the teachers of the school this coming summer.  (FREEMAN)