New rooms for Asturias schools

By Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc.
December 21, 2012

CEBU CITY  –  The Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. (RAFI) through its School Rehabilitation Program (SRP), turned over 15 classrooms to the teachers and school administrators of four public elementary schools in Asturias last Nov. 10.

Four school buildings of Asturias Central School, Agbanga Elementary School, Agtugop Elementary School, and Tag-amakan Elementary School were repaired, benefiting over 700 pupils.

While RAFI shouldered the material cost, the local government unit of Asturias and the Provincial Government of Cebu shouldered the labor cost. The teachers, parents, and the community served as custodians of the construction materials throughout the repair period.

Part of the repair is the installation of a two-piece concave-type blackboard and a toilet and lavatory in each classroom.

“RAFI is doing its best to help provide enabling conditions by improving physical structures,“ Anthony Dignadice, RAFI Education Development Unit executive director, said.

“We wish to emphasize the need for effective learning and this would require change in the culture of classroom management,” Dignadice, added.

The completion of the 15 classrooms in the four schools of Asturias now brings the coverage of the School Rehabilitation Program to a total of 507 classrooms in 151 schools in 34 towns in Cebu since its inception in 2004.

“The most difficult part of the implementation was the transport of construction materials to schools in far-flung areas. Despite this challenge, what truly encouraged me was seeing the need for a better school for the community,” Eliseo Leones Jr., school head of Agtugop and Agbanga Elementary Schools, said.

Asturias is one of the municipality-beneficiaries of RAFI's SRP.

“We’ve been dreaming to have a beautiful school building for so long, and now that we have it, we are so happy,” Leones, added.

The SRP is a program under the Education focus area of RAFI, which creates conducive and engaging learning environment to nurture the love for learning. Its other focus areas are Integrated Development, Micro-finance & Entrepreneurship, Culture & Heritage, and Leadership & Citizenship.