MANILA, Philippines – Army combatants played carpenter, plumber and electrician yesterday for the much-needed renovation of run-down government schools in Tanay, Rizal in time for the school opening next week.
A battalion of troops, divided into five teams backed by a platoon of policemen with six officers from the Calabarzon police regional office, was armed not with assault rifles but carpentry tools to conduct repair jobs on four elementary schools and one high school in the province.
The activity was in line with the Philippine Army’s Balik Eskwela Program in coordination with the Department of Education and provincial officials in Rizal.
“As per our timetable, we expect to complete our mission in two days,” said 1Lt. Frank Sayson, spokesman for the 2nd Infantry Division.
Schools that benefited from yesterday’s military Balik Eskwela program which is to end today are the Camp Capinpin Elementary School, Sampaloc Elementary School, Sampaloc National High School, Sitio Pinagsibiran Elementary School, and Sitio Agojo Elementary School, all in Tanay.
“When school officially opens next week, these former dilapidated government schools would be ready to receive thousands of students,” Sayson said.
“Students and teachers need not worry anymore about leaking roofs or defective tables and blackboards when they go back to their schools next week. We are taking care of these problems now,” he said.
While materials were provided by the Department of Education (DepEd), Sayson said the troops also brought their own to complement what was already available and immediately complete the repair and repainting jobs.
In one school, he said soldiers completely tore down the roof and replaced it with a new one.
Seeing the progress of the job, Brig. Gen. Rolando Detabali, 2nd Infantry Division commander, lauded his men, saying that aside from their usual combat training, they can also perform other jobs.
“Our troops are not only trained to do combat but also act as carpenters, mechanics, painters, plumbers, electricians, and the like,” said Detabali, whose unit is directly involved in anti-insurgency and internal security operations in Southern Tagalog. – Jaime Laude