BY: ROI ANTHONI B. LOMOTAN
BACONG, Negros Oriental, Aug. 12 (PIA) -- Presidential sister Pinky Aquino-Abellada and Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Armin Luistro led the inauguration of two new classroom buildings in San Miguel Elementary School in Bacong, Negros Oriental today.
Some 96 kindergarten students of San Miguel Elementary School will be the first occupants of these two new classroom buildings inside their campus courtesy of DepEd with the help of its private institution partners, the Aklat, Gabay, Aruga tungo sa Pag-angat at Pag-asa (AGAPP) Foundation, and Asian Development Bank-Japan Fund for Poverty Reduction (ADB-JFPR).
This is part of DepEd’s program to universalize kindergarten education to Filipino children through joined efforts of the public and private sectors.
Abellada, the chairperson of AGAPP Foundation thanked the ADB-JFPR for giving financial support for the construction of these “silid pangaraps” in Negros Oriental.
“Sana mag-enjoy kayo sa bago ninyong classroom. Mag-aral kayong maigi at kapag nag-graduate na kayo sana imbitahan niyo pa ako kasi kapag nakapagtapos kayo ng pag-aaral niyo, kami sa AGAPP, naabot na naming ang aming pangarap,” Abellada told the kindergarten students of San Miguel Elementary School.
These new classrooms are complete with new school chairs and tables and learning books for the kindergarten students.
“We are very grateful that we are chosen. It is a blessing that these classrooms are (fully) furnished. Aside from the building there is also a feeding program for the children,” School Principal Maria Melba Real remarked.
San Miguel Elementary School has a student population of 702 pupils.
Meanwhile, DepEd Sec. Armin Luistro assured teachers and students of the elementary school that the department will also refurbish old school buildings as part of its program in maintaining old classrooms.
Luistro disclosed this is a challenge for DepEd to keep up with the new facilities built by AGAPP Foundation.
“Ang mga facility na itinatayo ng AGAP ay napakamaganda (kaya) kailangan ang mga lumang classroom ng DepEd, mag-step up para gumanda rin po,” Sec. Luistro said.
Still, the DepEd Secretary thanked Abellada and the AGAPP Foundation for partnering with them in the construction of new classrooms for the benefit of all schoolchildren throughout the country.
The DepEd and the AGAPP Foundation target to build 1,000 new classrooms/buildings across the nation until 2016.
Aside from “silid pangarap,” AGAPP Foundation also provides feeding program for students and trainings for teachers.
The schools in Negros Oriental that benefitted from the newly built “Silid Pangarap” buildings are Okiot Elementary School, Bais Science Elementary School, Sto. Tomas Elementary School, Sta. Catalina Elementary School, Candugay Elementary School and Maloh Elementary School. (mbcn/ral/PIA7-NegOr)