Sarangani is country’s top classroom builder & PPP leader in education

By COCOY SEXCION and BEVERLY PAOYON

MALAPATAN, Sarangani (February 16, 2012) – Sarangani Province is the best performer in the whole country in terms of implementing school building programs, a top education official said during the turnover ceremony of new school buildings for elementary and high schools in a far-flung village Wednesday (February 15).

“Last week, during the turnover of SPPC (Southern Philippines Power Corporation)-funded school buildings in Alabel, I reported to the governor that for the school year 2012-2013, Sarangani will be receiving 90 school buildings with a total project cost of 61 million pesos from the regular budget of Department of Education’s school building program,” said Dr. Allan Farnazo, schools division superintendent of the Department of Education (DepEd), in his words of challenge to the tribal community of barangay Kihan in Malapatan.

“But the most significant news that I am going to report to you is the effort of the governor for sourcing out funds through Public Private Partnership (PPP) for the construction of 162 classroom buildings all over the province,” Farnazo said.

The Kihan event was attended by provincial officials headed by Governor Migs Dominguez, Sarangani educators led by Dr. Farnazo, municipal officials, barangay Officials headed by Barangay Captain Danilo Abdulradzak, parents and tribal elders and leaders.

The two elementary classroom buildings were funded by DepEd through its Basic Education Facilities Fund with a project cost of P2.2 million.

The high school two-classroom building was built through the Department of Public Works and Highways’ School Building Program.

After the program, Governor Dominguez called a meeting with barangay officials and tribal elders and leaders to come up with a solution to minimize, if not eliminate, school drop outs.

The caucus produced a written agreement between the governor and the barangay officials that the governor will only outsource funds from private partners for the construction of a P0.5 million worth of “classdorm”. The “classdorm”, a classroom that is converted into a dormitory, is for incoming high school students living in the remotest area of the barangay if the Grade VI pupils will all pass and graduate this summer.

The tribal elders and leaders in this Blaan community also agreed that tribal women will only be allowed to get married if they finish high school as appealed earlier by Dr. Farnazo.

Meanwhile in Alabel, two new classrooms were inaugurated on February 6. The Southern Philippines Power Corporation (SPPC) turned-over two classrooms worth P1,327,000 which marked the firm’s 26th donation for Sarangani.

The donation was in cooperation with Conrado and Ladislawa Alcantara Foundation, Inc. and Sarangani Province Empowerment and Community Transformation Forum.

The new schools were the 102nd and 103rd classroom buildings constructed and turned-over in Sarangani under the administration of Governor Dominguez.

One of the classrooms was in Leopoldo D. Dacera Elementary School established on top of a hill overlooking a village in barangay Domolok while the other one was in Upper Alabel Elementary School.

Both are fully furnished and complete with 40 school chairs each, electrical lightings, comfort room and ceiling fans which cost P672,000 and P655,000, respectively.

In a bid to complement the lack of classroom facilities in the province, Tirso Santillan Jr., chief executive director of Power Business Unit of Alcantara Group of Companies, the classrooms were their company’s contribution to education in Sarangani as part of their corporate social responsibility and community relations program.

“Kaya naming ginagawa ito ay para rin sa kinabukasan ng ating mga anak, ang ating mga susunod na henerasyon. Kasi gusto naming mabigyan sila ng pagkakataon na umunlad ang buhay nila,” Santillan explained.

Purok 12 Dacera before had no school and students have to cross a river to reach the nearest school in the adjacent barangay Batomelong, a place already part of General Santos City.

This means that with the school and new classroom, according to PTA (Parents Teachers Association) president in Leopoldo D. Dacera Elementary School Joji Perez, “the children don’t any longer need to cross the river and we are very grateful that we now have our school.”

Since the first Grade VI graduates would come this year, Dominguez challenged DepEd and the local officials to put up a high school building in Dacera before the opening of classes starts in June to cater the incoming first year students.

Dominguez then pointed out to parents their responsibility in moulding their children to be successful professionals in the future that they “should not just rely everything to the Department of Education (Ang kaugmaon sa inyong mga bata dili lang nato ihatag sa DepEd.)

Schools division superintendent Farnazo quoted Dominguez’ battle cry “it takes a village to raise a child,” saying “most often we leave to DepEd the responsibility of educating the children.” This, however Farnazo lamented DepEd could not solely cope with so many constraints in the department.

“We know that government funds is not enough to comply with all the needs but with our concerted efforts we could prepare for the future of our children (Kabalo kita nga ang pondo sa gobyerno dili igo para sa mga kinahanglanon apan inubanan sa atong pagtambayayong ato ra mahimo ang kaugmaon para sa atong mga anak), Farnazo said.

He then said “SSPC should claim the honour of always establishing and constructing the first-ever concrete classrooms in all the schools that DepEd has not reached yet. Bago maabot ang DepEd, naconstruct na ang concreto nga building.”

The classrooms, he said, symbolize “our dreams for our children that will form the minds in the future of our children. These will build their minds, will strengthen their character and will provide them better future.”

At the same time, Dominguez announced that the provincial government already approved the P55-million road network project connecting barangay Domolok to Purok 12 Dacera hopefully to be implemented this April which is anticipated to ease access of services and transportation in the area. For more news and updates, please visit www.sarangani.gov.ph (Cocoy Sexcion and Beverly C. Paoyon/SARANGANI INFORMATION OFFICE)