A worthy cause

Even President Macapagal-Arroyo has only nice words for the Operation: Barrio Schools program of the Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Inc.

"The best recognition of the federation’s solid track record in social service is the decision of Senate President Franklin Drilon to turn over P100 million of his countryside development fund to the federation for the construction of 570 classrooms," the President said during last year’s celebration of the First Filipino-Chinese Friendship Day.

By transferring the responsibility of constructing classrooms and school buildings from the Department of Public Works and Highways to FFCCCI, Drilon’s CDF would be stretched by 100%. The federation can build a classroom at half the DPWH costing of P350,000.

Flagship program

Operation Barrio Schools was launched in 1960 as the federation’s response to the increasing lack of schoolrooms in the country. In 1958, for example, government estimated that it lacked 20,000 classrooms to meet the needs of a growing number of children reaching school age.

Under the program, funds would be raised to defray the construction of standard two-year school buildings. Seed capital for the special fund was raised from the officers of the federation.

The first unit funded and constructed by the project was turned over to Barrio Obrero, La Paz, Iloilo City in mid-1961. One hundred units were built in 1961-1971 and another 300 units were built in 1971-1981.

Today, program-funded school buildings totaling 2,500 can be found all over the country. These are used by about half a million schoolchildren every school day.

For 2001-2003, the federation has committed to construct 350 units. Priority is given to depressed and far-flung areas. For example, 14 school buildings were built last year for the Mangyans in Oriental Mindoro. Since the Mangyans lived in mountainous terrain, the buildings had to be prefabricated in the lowlands and then hauled uphill.

With every year that passes and with more school buildings put up, Operation: Barrio Schools has become the federation’s flagship program.