Davao Region

President’s sister turns over 21 kinder buildings

By Rudolf Ian G. Alama

Thursday 14th of June 2012

DAVAO CITY June 14 (PIA)-- About 21 kindergarten school buildings were turned over to the Department of Education by the education advocacy group AGAPP (Aklat Gabay Aruga Tungo sa Pagunlad at Pag-Asa) led by its chair Pinky Aquino Abellada, sister of President Benigno Aquino III.

The construction of the buildings were realized thru the P75- million funding support given by Aboitiz Foundation led by its president Jon Ramon Aboitiz.

The turn-over ceremony was held last June 13 at the Marco Polo Hotel in Davao City and was graced by Pinky Aquino-Abellada, Jon Ramon Aboitiz, DepED Regional Director Susana Estigoy, Archbishop of Davao Romulo Valles alongside stakeholders from AGAPP, the Aboitiz Group of companies and local government units led by Compostela Valley Governor Arturo T. Uy.

The 21 school buildings were part of the 67 school buildings committed by Aboitiz Foundation. In 2011, the completed and donated 26 school buildings and by 2013 the foundation is expecting another batch of 36 buildings.

The 2-classroom building has facilities that functions as a library and activity center. The AGAPP is aiming to build 1,000 classrooms by 2013. A multi-partite partnership, plastic company Uratex provides the school furnitures, the National Bookstore takes care of the books for the pupils and the DepEd provides the teachers with training given by AGAPP.

“Pag maganda ang ginagawa, bumubukas ang langit.” (If the deeds are good, heaven opens) Aquino-Abellada describes the help given to AGAPP which has realized their dream of providing learning access to kindergarten schoolchildren.

Some of the buildings were given to the Inawayan Elementary School in Davao del Sur, Binugao Central Elementary School and Catalunan Grande Elementary School in Davao City. Other schoolbuildings were built in Tagum City and in Compostela Valley province.

Dir. Estigoy thanked AGAPP, Aboitiz Foundation and the other donors for providing the children with a second home.

“We have always imprinted that the school is the second home of the children, every building is a fulfilment of a child’s dream.” Estigoy said during her speech at the turn-over program.

According to Aquino-Abellada, AGAPP started as an initiative from the President’s classmates, who after the election campaign broach the idea of helping her brother. “These are private citizens wanting to their share of moving the country forward.” Aquino-Abellada characterizes the prime-movers of AGAPP.

As of the present, AGAPP has built and turned over 377 classrooms since last year. They had also attracted numerous donors aside from Aboitiz Foundation other individuals who pitched in for the group included Aquino-Abellada’s celebrity sister Kris Aquino which has pledged 10 classrooms and Black Eyed Peas member Allan Pineda otherwise known as Apl. de Ap which also has donated a number of classrooms. (PIA/RG Alama)