LGUs, RAFI to rebuild Bogo school building

CEBU, Philippines - Cebu Governor Hilario Davide III said yesterday that the provincial government and the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation, Inc. will work together in rebuilding the building of the Bogo Central School that was struck by fire last Sunday.

"Nagstorya name ganiha sa RAFI, (they are) going to help in repairing the building. RAFI has pledged to rebuild the whole building. Unsay kulang, (counterpart) sa province," Davide said.

Before it caught fire, the building, which is made of Gabaldon structures, had to be rehabilitated after it was damaged by super typhoon Yolanda in November last year. It was repaired by the Israeli Defense Force that conducted medical and other rehabilitation efforts in the city following the deadly storm.

Damage of the fire last Sunday was pegged at P6.5 million.

As of the moment, classes of at least 400 students in Grade 1, 2 and 3, are being held in makeshift tents.

Dominica B. Chua, RAFI chief operating officer, called Bogo City Mayor Celestino Martinez personally yesterday to express the foundation's interest in helping rebuild the building.

It was reportedly RAFI President Roberto Aboitiz who instructed her to get in touch with the mayor after the former learned about the incident.

"Part of RAFI's advocacy and one of its pillar programs is to rebuild schools, including those destroyed by calamities, especially since this is in relation to our goal of providing a better learning environment for our children," Chua said.

Aside from the provincial government, Chua said Martinez also assured that Bogo City will also help in the rebuilding.

"We are also expecting that Department of Education would soon join the partnership by providing the other needs like books and educational materials," she said.

Anthony Dignadice, RAFI Education Development Unit executive director, said the foundation will send engineers to Bogo City today to assess the area and to come up with an estimate of the needed expense for the project.

RAFI reportedly eyes building more classrooms, aside from the nine that will be rebuilt.

 "We also like to see if there are further needs, if additional classrooms would be required especially that Bogo is among those recently hit by Yolanda," Dignadice said.

 "We have been rehabilitating schools for the longest time we feel we have to move because of the immediate need, just like what we did with Yolanda.  RAFI has rehabilitated more than 200 classrooms damaged by super typhoon Yolanda in northern Cebu," he added.

Dignadice said further that RAFI has also coordinated with the University of San Carlos for the school to send a team to assess if the Gabaldon classrooms, which are considered heritage structures, could still be salvaged.

He said RAFI would like to make sure that the building could no longer be saved before clearing the area to make way for the construction of a new one.— (FREEMAN)