GenSan classroom building constructed on cash donations from city gov’t workers
GENERAL SANTOS CITY, Philippines – Small acts could indeed result in bigger things as what city hall employees here found out recently.
In February, upon the prodding of Mayor Ronnel Rivera, city hall employees started contributing P10 per month out of their salaries.
By July, the fund – deposited with the General Santos City Government Employees Association (GSCGEA) under the “Sampung Piso Ko, Klasrum Mo (My Ten Pesos, Your Classroom)” program—had grown to about P78,000.
The fund collected from their monthly contribution, plus Rivera’s personal donation of P40,000, was used to construct a classroom building inside the newly opened Calumpang High School.
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On October 3, the GSCGEA turned over the finished classroom building, made of concrete and light materials, to school authorities. Its total cost was P110,000.
Rivera said last Thursday the beauty of the project was that it proved that big things could start from small efforts.
“From the month of February to July, the GSCGEA was able to come up with only P78,000, but they still pursued the construction,” he said.
Fervi Tripoli, a teacher at the CHS, told Rivera the new classroom building meant a lot to the students of the school.
“Calumpang High School just started this June and we only have two make-shift classrooms that cater to 130 Grade 7 and Grade 8 students. With the addition of this new classroom from the local government, I’m sure we can add more students,” she said during a meeting with the mayor last week.
Rivera urged city hall employees here to continue what they have started.
He said with the effort, the shortage of classrooms in the city would effectively be addressed.
Rivera said improving the state of education in the city was not only the concern of the government but of every resident.
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