SAN JOSE DEL MONTE, Bulacan – While most grade school students spend at least six hours a day in school, seven-year old Josh Beckhamlee Sabulao only spends four hours attending his classes at Benito Nieto Elementary School (BNES).

For the longest time, the public school has been implementing three shifts for its first and second graders just to accommodate over 2,000 students in its 23 classrooms.

Josh, who is in second grade, belongs to the third shift. He goes to school at 2 p.m. and heads home by 6:00 p.m. At such a young age, he has learned to adjust to unconventional school hours that starts and ends late in the day.

Since he belongs to the pilot section and is a fast learner, Josh has no problems coping with the shortened classes. He can now read, write and do simple Math. But those who can’t learn fast enough have to undergo a remedial class together with the other slow learners from other sections.

Fortunately, such set-up will end soon. Through the help of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation’s (PAGCOR) Matuwid na Daan sa Silid-Aralan school building project, BNES will be able to reduce their class shifts from three to two. Because of this, "pupils from Grades 1 and 2 like Josh will also be able to experience a longer class period of six instead of four hours," BNES Principal Supronio Macawile said.

Just like BNES, the San Jose Del Monte National High School (SJDMNHS) received a two-storey, four-classroom building from the state-owned gaming firm recently. A building costs over P8 million. PAGCOR is also constructing another two-storey, four-classroom building in Graceville National High School, also in San Jose del Monte, Bulacan.

PAGCOR Chairman and CEO Cristino Naguiat, Jr. said the state-owned gaming agency – in partnership with the Department of Education (DepEd) – is doing its best to help alleviate the plight of students in public schools nationwide.

According to Naguiat, out of several nation-building initiatives that PAGCOR funds and supports, the school building project is the most significant. "Ito ay dahil ang direktang nakikinabang ay ang ating mga kabataan na syang pag-asa ng ating bayan. They are the future leaders of our country and good leadership begins with good education. That is PAGCOR’s goal, to promote quality education in the country," he pointed out.

Likewise, SJDMNHS Principal Wilma Aquino is extremely grateful to PAGCOR for constructing four new classrooms that will help address the congestion in their school. Despite having 3,300 students, SJDMNHS only had 41 functional classrooms. This forced the school to implement a morning and afternoon shift that lasts from 6 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. and 12:15 p.m. to 6:45 p.m., respectively.

School Division Superintendent Estelita Pineda said the public schools in San Jose Del Monte are continuously faced with problems on classroom shortage due to the increasing enrolment population. "San Jose Del Monte has served as the government’s relocation site for informal settlers coming from different parts of Metro Manila.

When I was assigned here a year and a half ago, nakita ko ang malaking pangangailangan sa school buildings. Pero masaya kami dahil maraming stakeholders na tumutulong. Natutuwa din kami dahil this year, tatlo ang buildings na naibigay ng PAGCOR sa San Jose Del Monte," Pineda narrated.

Meanwhile, Congressman Arthur Robes of the Lone District of San Jose Del Monte Bulacan underscored the importance of the newly-built PAGCOR classrooms to the education and future of their children. "Ang mga bagong silid-aralan na bigay ng PAGCOR ay makaka-bawas sa problema ng congestion sa aming public schools. Malaki ang maitutulong ng mga ito para mabago ang buhay ng mga kabataan ng San Jose Del Monte," he added.

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