Wed | 11.13.2019 | 1:40 PM

The ribbon-cutting ceremony for the formal turnover of a one-storey, five-classroom school structure to Progreso Este Elementary School in the town of Odiongan was attended by PAGCOR AVP for Community Relations and Services Department Ma. Reina Carreon who represented Chairman & CEO Andrea Domingo (2nd from left), Romblon Provincial Administrator Lizette Mortel (middle), Office of the Schools Division Superintendent OIC Rufino Foz (extreme left), School Principal Reynante Lorenzo (4th from left) and a Parents Teachers Association (PTA) representative (extreme right).

The PAGCOR logo of the newly-inaugurated five-classroom building is unveiled at Progreso Este Elementary School.

Pupils of Progreso Este Elementary School cheerfully welcome their new learning facility..

HOPE for better learning shone brightly for thousands of public school students in Romblon after the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) turned over school buildings, computer units and backpacks to state-subsidized learning institutions recently in the archipelagic province.

Receiving the biggest educational aid from PAGCOR was Romblon National High School (RNHS) in Romblon Island, which inaugurated a state-of-the-art four-storey, 20-classrom building that can house classes for senior high school students. The learning structure is the first of its kind in the province and it will benefit a total of 512 Grade 12 learners out of its more than 3,000 population.

RNHS Principal Rosemarie Mangaring said that prior to the completion of the PAGCOR building, most of their students had to hold classes in the school’s open grandstand and cramped and dilapidated classrooms. The faculty room and library were relocated to the new structure.

“We had to make do with only 54 old classrooms to cater to our more than 3,000 students then, and you can just imagine how inconvenient it was for them to attend classes with our limited facilities. May mga nagkaklase sa lumang classrooms at sa grandstand. Fortunately, our then Assistant Principal, Ma’am Aleth Madali, learned that PAGCOR was donating school buildings. It was she who formally requested one for our school,” Mangaring narrated.

With the construction of the PAGCOR building, which boasts of spacious classrooms, comfort rooms in every floor and ramps for persons with disability (PWDs), RNHS students now also enjoys whole-day classes from the previous two-shift (morning and afternoon) class format.

“Sa kagustuhan po naming matuto, matagal po kaming nagtiis na walang permanenteng classrooms at talaga pong hirap na hirap kami tuwing nagkaklase. Ngayon po, maginhawa na kaming makakapag-aral,” said Grade 12 student Rica May Indonilla, who experienced attending classes at the school grandstand under the scorching heat of the sun.

In the municipality of Odiongan in Tablas Island, Progreso Este Elementary School (PEES) received a one-storey, five-classroom building from the state-run gaming firm. The said structure that will benefit 100 pupils from Grades One to Three will also serve as the town’s evacuation center during calamities.

San Fernando Elementary School (SFES) in the distant Sibuyan Island also got a five-classroom building from PAGCOR.

To date, the agency has already donated five school buildings or a total of 40 classrooms to Romblon.

Meanwhile, PAGCOR also turned over 15 computer sets to five public high schools and close to 2,000 backpacks containing assorted school kits for grade school pupils from 24 public elementary schools in the province.

The turnover ceremony which was held at the Department of Education (DepEd) Romblon Office in Romblon Island, was attended by Romblon Governor Jose Riano, Provincial Administrator Lizette Mortel, Office of the Schools Division Superintendent OIC Rufino Foz and PAGCOR AVP for Community Relations and Services Department Ma. Reina Carreon, who represented Chairman and CEO Andrea Domingo.

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