CEBU, Philippines - Grade three pupils of Linao Elementary School in Talisay City received the other day school supplies from the city police.
The school also received foot paths.
Superintendent Elmer Lim, officer-in-charge of Talisay City Police Station, said 60 Grade 3 pupils were the beneficiaries of their adopt-a-class program.
Lim said his men after being told to scout for a school as beneficiary of the program chose Linao Elementary School.
Grade three pupils were having classes under a temporary roof made of cloth to prevent them from the sun and rain.
Since the school grounds become muddy when it rains, the police doled out foot paths.
Lim said his deputy, Senior Inspector Allan Cuizon, chose the foot paths that were given to the school.
On the other hand, Maximo Carin, principal of the school expressed his thanks to the Talisay City PNP for choosing his school as beneficiary.
Carin said private individuals also donate school supplies, uniforms, and used clothing to some of their students.
There are also persons who volunteer to repair their classrooms and chairs and tables.
Linao Elementary School was built in 2003 and offers classes from kindergarten to grade six.
He said that as of now, the school has 100 kindergarten pupils and only one teacher.
The school needs one more teacher for kindergarten so it can have two sections.
The school also lacks classrooms.
Carin said that the school has put up a temporary division in one of the classrooms to make room for another class but the pupils suffer from lack of elbow room.
Every grade level has more than 50 students.
Another problem the school worries about is the water from its artesian well that is detrimental to one’s health if swallowed.
Carin said students have been advised to bring their own drinking water.
Meanwhile, barangay councilor Wendell Caparida, chairman on the committee of education of the barangay council, said the barangay is working on the problem and at the same time has urged Carin to make a program of work for the construction of a school building so he can use this to ask for funding from the barangay.
Caparida said barangay Captain Fe Ylanan has asked him to list down the problems the school faces. (FREEMAN)