Aboitiz Group breaks ground for Yolanda schools’ rehab

SAN REMIGIO, Cebu, Philippines - – A groundbreaking ceremony and signing of a memorandum of agreement (MOA) at the Argawanon Integrated School here marked the official start of repair and construction of new classrooms and buildings in schools that were heavily damaged by Super Typhoon Yolanda in northern Cebu.

The Aboitiz Foundation, corporate social development arm of the Aboitiz Group, led the activity and signed the MOA with the municipalities of San Remigio and Bogo and the Department of Education (DepEd) to formalize its commitment to repair and construct 200 classrooms in these badly hit areas.

Leading the ceremony were Aboitiz Foundation chairman Erramon Aboitiz, Aboitiz Equity Ventures chairman Jon Ramon Aboitiz, Presidential Assistant for Rehabilitation and Recovery (PARR) Secretary Panfilo Lacson, DepEd Secretary Armin Luistro, Cebu Gov. Hilario Davide III, San Remigio Mayor Mariano Martinez, and Bogo Mayor Celestino Martinez.

The foundation, one of the first responders on the ground after Yolanda struck, is set to repair 130 classrooms and construct 70 new ones, which will benefit some 13,000 elementary and high school students upon completion within the year.

Erramon Aboitiz said funding for the northern Cebu schools’ rehab program, which is estimated at P140 million, will be sourced from the P225 million in cash donations pooled from various donors through the #BangonVisayas campaign.

The campaign, through intensive use of social media, defined and unified the efforts of various groups to bring more attention to the region’s plight and call for donations to help the Visayas recover from Yolanda’s blow.

“Indeed, the outpouring of support is the essence of the Aboitiz Foundation’s mission of helping people help themselves… The lion’s share of our efforts and resources has been allocated to education-related projects because we believe this is where we can create the greatest impact,” Aboitiz said.

Aboitiz’s construction unit Metaphil, which was chosen as lead contractor for the project, will ensure that classrooms will be completed on time, within budget, and meet required quality – safe and conducive to learning.

Meanwhile, the Aboitiz family’s foundation, Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. (RAFI), also recently inked a MOA for a post-Yolanda school and day care center rehabilitation with a budget of P247 million, bringing the total Aboitiz funds for post-Yolanda schools’ rehab to P387 million.

“With such a large area to cover, addressing the needs of affected communities requires a collaborative effort. For this reason, we are glad that RAFI has also embarked on its own rebuilding program, which will greatly help in making an even more meaningful impact,” said Jon Ramon Aboitiz.

The project includes repair of 50 classrooms and construction of 134 new ones, repair of 12 day care centers, and construction of eight new ones in the towns of Bantayan, Madridejos, Santa Fe, and Daanbantayan.

Combined, the entire Aboitiz rehab initiatives will benefit an estimated 21,800 students in 79 schools in northern Cebu.