Aboitiz goal for Mandaue: One building each for 56 city schools

CEBU, Philippines - The Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. yesterday announced it will make Mandaue City a model for development program for a public school campus.

The announcement was made by Augusto Carpio III, chief operating officer and one of the trustees of the RAFI, during the turnover of three-story school building with six classrooms at the Cubacub Elementary School.

Aside from Cubacub Elementary School, Aboitiz also turned over a three-story school building each to Cabancalan II Elementary School and the Banilad National High School yesterday morning.

Aboitiz did not only turn over the school buildings but also equipped each classroom with chairs, tables, blackboards and electric fans.

In his speech in Cubacub, Carpio said their foundation now aims to construct school buildings for each of the 27 elementary schools, 23 high schools and six night high schools in Mandaue City.

Carpio was glad they have almost constructed school buildings in each school in the city after they have already turned over a total of 109 classrooms in the different public schools in Mandaue.

Carpio said it would not be hard for them to come up with what they have aimed for because they already have templates or designs on what kind of school building is supposed to be constructed. Because of this, he said it would also be much better if each school comes up with their respective development plan as well.

Aboitiz plans to incorporate with the plan of the Mandaue City government as Mayor Jonas Cortes also urged DepEd to submit the development plans of each school in the city so studies can be made.

During yesterday's turnover, it was learned that for six years, students at the Cubacub Elementary School has utilized the barangay's gymnasium as their makeshift classrooms.

With the turnover, students from Grades 4, 5 and 6 will finally have their classes held in the new building.

Carmen Santos, the school principal, also hopes additional school building for the other grade levels will be constructed as the school recently acquired a 1,500-square meter lot.