Power firm's school makeover benefits 440 schoolers

By Ben Moses Ebreo

Friday 8th of June 2012

BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya, June 8 (PIA) -- Two elementary schools within the coverage area of a power firm here recently received refurbishment efforts in preparation for the opening of classes this school year.

SN Aboitiz Power ‘s (SNAP) school brigade program benefited the Binga Elementary School in Brgy. Tinongdan in Itogon, Benguet and the San Antonio Elementary School in Brgy. San Antonio in Ramon, Isabela last May 29 to 31.

“This program is intended to assist our host communities by providing them with cleaner, newly painted and repaired classrooms for school year 2012-2013,” said lawyer Mike Hosillos, SNAP vice president for corporate affairs.

Volunteers from SNAP and its contractor agencies, local government units, and host communities participated in the school brigade program this year through various makeover activities including repainting of classroom walls and blackboards, fixing and painting of roofs, and painting of book shelves and school benches.

Aside from volunteer services of its employees, SNAP-Benguet and SNAP-Magat also provided the paint and cleaning materials.

Earlier in May, officers of the Binga Elementary School’s parents-teachers association held an anti-dengue drive by cleaning the school surroundings.

About 440 students benefitted from the school brigade program, where around 140 schoolers came from Binga and about 300 from San Antonio.

Hosillos said SNAP is on its third year of supporting Department of Education’s annual Brigada Eskwela (School Brigade) as an employee engagement program.

Brigada Eskwela aims to prepare schools for the onset of the school year with minor repairs, clean-ups, and makeovers through collaboration with public and private sectors.

SNAP-Benguet owns the 105-MW Ambuklao and 100-MW Binga hydropower facilities located respectively in Bokod and Itogon, Benguet.

SNAP-Magat owns the 360-MW Magat hydroelectric power plant bordering the towns of Ramon, Isabela and Alfonso Lista, Ifugao. SNAP-Benguet and SNAP-Magat are both joint venture companies between SN Power of Norway and Aboitiz Power. (TCB/BME-PIA 2 Nueva Vizcaya)