Sarangani province may be the best performer in the whole country in terms of implementing school building programs, a top education official said during the turnover ceremony of new school buildings for elementary and high schools in a far-flung village of Malapatan Wednesday, February 15.
SPPC (Southern Philippines Power Corporation)-funded school buildings in the capital town of Alabel. In the school year 2012-2013, Sarangani will receive 90 school buildings valued at 61 million pesos from the regular budget of the Department of Education’s school building program, according to Dr. Allan Farnazo, DepEd schools division superintendent.
Governor Migs Dominguez sourced the funds through Public Private Partnership (PPP) for the construction of 162 classroom buildings in the province.
The two new elementary classroom buildings were funded by DepEd through its Basic Education Facilities Fund with a project cost of P2.2 million and built through the Department of Public Works and Highways’ School Building Program.
After the program, Gov. Dominguez met with barangay officials and tribal elders and leaders to come up with a solution to minimize, if not eliminate, school dropouts.
The caucus produced a written agreement between the governor and the barangay officials that the governor would only outsource funds from private partners for the construction of a P0.5 million worth so-called “classdorm”—a classroom converted into a dormitory, for incoming high school students living in the remotest area of the barangay if all the Grade VI graduate this summer.
The tribal elders and leaders in this Blaan community also agreed that tribal women will only be allowed to marry if they finish high school as per appeal earlier of Dr. Farnazo.
Meanwhile, in Alabel, two new classrooms were inaugurated last February 6. The Southern Philippines Power Corporation (SPPC) turned-over two classrooms worth P1,327,000 which marked the firm’s 26th donation to Sarangani.
The donation was in cooperation with the Conrado and Ladislawa Alcantara Foundation, Inc. and Sarangani Province Empowerment and Community Transformation Forum.
The new facilities are the 102nd and 103rd classrooms constructed under the administration of Governor Dominguez.
The two classrooms, costing P672,000 and P655,000, respectively, are fully furnished, complete with 40 school chairs each, electrical lightings, comfort room and ceiling fans.
Tirso Santillan Jr., chief executive director of Power Business Unit of Alcantara Group of Companies which donated th facilities, said the classrooms are the company’s contribution to education in Sarangani as part of its corporate social responsibility and community relations program.[Sarangani PIO]
