Cebu LGUs, private foundation to rehab decrepit schools

By Amorganda A. Saludar

Thursday 5th of July 2012

CEBU CITY, July 5 (PIA) -- Two mayors from Tuburan and Asturias in northwest Cebu as well as the school heads of eight beneficiary schools in both towns inked an agreement with a private foundation to have decrepit schools rehabilitated.

The memorandum of agreement was signed last June 13 at the Eduardo Aboitiz Studies Center in Cebu City.

The eight school-beneficiaries in said towns are the second batch of recipients of the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Incorporated's (RAFI) School Rehabilitation Program or SRP now on its third phase. The program involves the repair of 28 classrooms that will start this month.

Around 1,260 schoolchildren will benefit from the repaired structures.

RAFI allocated P 8.2 million for the major repair and rehabilitation. The school-recipients are: Asturias Central School, Agbanga Primary School, Agtugop Elementary School, Tag-amakan Elementary School, Sandayong Elementary School, Carmelo Elementary School, Daan Lungsod Elementary School, and Tuburan Central School.

As for their part, the local government units (LGUs) of Asturias and Tuburan will shoulder the 30 percent of labor costs. Included in the agreement is the commitment of both towns to provide the fund of not less than P10,000 for the establishment of an Indigenous Tree Nursery in each school.

“I am so happy that our two schools are included in this batch. For me, applying for this project is very risky but because of the support from the LGU and parents, I managed to pursue my application for school repair knowing that this project is for the benefit of our children,” Eliseo Leones Jr., school head of Agtugop and Agbanga Elementary Schools, said.

Asturias mayor Alan Adlawan, whose town was a program beneficiary since 2009 said the program really spurred the school-beneficiaries to improve their performance.

“Repairing school buildings is just one part of improving the quality of education. We always would like to be a part of this program. It’s more of a challenge for us. Every time RAFI repairs schools in Asturias, we are challenged to perform well,” Adlawan said.

The Foundation aims not just to change the physical condition of schools but to enhance the quality of learning and teaching inside the classroom as well.

“The classroom is a child's home away from home. It is where students spend most of their day and where much of their development occurs. When children and teachers feel physically safe and comfortable in their classrooms, they are motivated to come to school and are able to focus their attention on their central task: teaching and learning," Amaya Cristina Aboitiz, deputy director for operations of RAFI, explained.

"Through the School Rehabilitation Program, RAFI seeks to provide students and teachers with conducive learning environment. We hope that this investment, together with the continued work and support of the teachers and parents, will lead to improved student attendance, motivation, and achievement,” Aboitiz added.

Since 2004, the SRP has repaired and turned over 458 classrooms in 136 public elementary schools in 36 municipalities of Cebu.

The SRP is a program under the Education focus area of RAFI, believing that shaping the next generation of talents begins with nurturing the love for learning. Other focus areas of RAFI are integrated development, micro-finance & entrepreneurship, culture & heritage and leadership & citizenship.

For further information about RAFI's school rehabilitation program, call 418-7234 loc. 205 and look for Jicel Reve Gabriel or visit their website: www.rafi.org.ph. (FCR/AYS/RAFI PR-PIA7 CEBU)