16 schools benefit from DOLE's classroom donation program
Sixteen public elementary and secondary schools in Western Visayas benefited from the Classroom Galing sa Mga Mamayang Pilipino Abroad or CGMA project.
The project which is spearheaded by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) in collaboration with the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), Department of Education (DepEd), the Federation of the Filipino Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Inc (FFCCCII) aims amongst others to support President Arroyo's goal "to close the big classrooms gap in the countryside" so that school children will be given better access to education.
The record of the DOLE 6 showed that since December 2003 a total of 16 public elementary and secondary schools in the region were recipients of two-classroom school building sized 7 by 7 meters under the CGMA project. Of the 16 public schools, 12 of these are from the province of Negros Occidental and 1 each in the provinces of Iloilo, Capiz, Kalibo and Antique.
Thirteen of these school buildings have been already inaugurated and turned over to the recipient schools, another one is completed and slated for inauguration while two others are under construction.
The school beneficiaries are: Victorias National High School in Victorias City, Education & Training Center School III in Bacolod City, Serafin Golez Memorial Elementary School in Silay City, Don Hilarion Gonzaga Memorial High School in Talisay, Pacao Elementary School in Kabankalan City, Cansilayan National High School in Cansilayan, Negros Occidental High School in Murcia, Camamay Elementary School in Ilog, Gen. Luna Elementary School in Sagay, Tampalca Elementary School in Ilog, Santol Elementary School in Binalbagan and Old Sagay Elementary in Sagay for Negros Occidental province; Calinog Ele mentary School in Calinog for Iloilo province; Jamindan National High School in Jamindan for Capiz province; Numancia Integrated School in Numancia for Aklan province; and Gov. Julio V. Macuja Comprehensive High School in Hamtic for Aklan province.
Under this project, the construction of the school buildings are funded by donations not only from Filipino individuals and organizations abroad but also from business establishments, corporations, domestic and foreign commercial and professional organizations and foundations.
As of December 31, 2005, DOLE reported that under the CGMA project 343 classrooms have been programmed of which 266 are already completed and utilized by 15,960 students in public primary and secondary scho ols nationwide.
(PIA)