Day care building upgrade brings joy to Pajo kids

CEBU, Philippines - Parents who send their kids to an old day care center in Barangay Pajo, Lapu-Lapu City were once worried of their children’s safety.

The building, built in 1986, used to have decrepit roof gutters, damaged chairs and tables and a decaying ceiling.

Yesterday, the months-long repair works on the old building finally culminated with its inauguration which was led by officials from the barangay, city and the three private companies that backed the project.

With the newly repaired and improved building, Pajo barangay captain Junard “Ahong” Chan expects pupils to be more active during their classes.

“Sa una, ang mga bata nga moadto sa day care kay maghilak tungod kay dilapidated na ang area. Karon nga gipintalan ang day care og mga Disney cartoon characters, nabali na ang situation — ang mga parents na ang magproblema sa pagpauli sa mga bata kay ganahan naman sila didto mag-stay,” Chan said.

The hallways of the day care center have been splashed with different colors and painted with images of cartoon characters by Virgili Ybañez, an Oponganon artist from Barangay Gun-ob, who recently joined the International Eucharistic Congress 2016 national painting competition early this year.

“The full painting of the day care center took two months to finish, while the renovation of the building also took three months for the carpenters can only work on Saturdays and Sundays,” Chan said.

Chan said the barangay requested Mayor Paz Radaza to help them patch up the old day care facility.

“We requested help from the mayor and ni-support sad siya with the use of her personal funds,” he said.

Radaza shelled out P200,000 for the restoration of the day care center while the Parents-Teachers’ Association and the barangay raised P50,000 each for additional funding.

The Vicsal Foundation Inc., through its program officer Mars Rubica, donated a playground facility for the day care center, while Mactan Grain Terminal Inc. officer Albert Tan said they donated garbage bins to the barangay.

“We placed garbage bins not just in the day care centers but also in the whole barangay compound. We also train the children about the proper disposal of garbage,” Chan said.

The barangay’s compound houses the barangay hall, day care center and a covered court.

Chan added that the General Milling Corp. also regularly distributes bread as snacks for the children in the barangay’s day care center.

Around 250 children, some persons with disabilities, barangay workers, staff, and students of Alternative Learning System witnessed yesterday’s blessing rites.

In her short speech, Radaza emphasized that one of her administration’s thrusts in good governance is that “no Oponganon should be left behind.”

“Gipaningkamutan sa siyudad nga mahatod ang serbisyo sa matag-barangay. Ang mga lumolupyo sa barangay nga miserbisyo, within reach sa mga constituents,” Radaza said.

The inauguration ended with a boodle fight. After the program, the induction of the new set of officials for the Kababayen, a women’s group, and for PTA then followed. (FREEMAN)