Pag-Ibig adopts school in mountain barangay

A school in the mountain barangay Tabunan, Cebu City that has never received major assistance was finally given attention.

Officers and employees of Pag-Ibig Fund led by Vice President for Visayas Operations Victoria de la Peña and South Branch department manager Rio Teves turned over more than P40,000 worth of school supplies, musical instruments and several sports and office equipment to 355 students and 14 teachers of Tabunan Integrated School (TIS).

The turnover is part of the institution’s corporate social responsibility initiative in partnership with the Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP).

During the event, Pag-Ibig revealed that the turnover is one of the activities the institution is organizing for the school in its commitment to adopt the school as its beneficiary.

“Kahibalo mi nga daghan pa ang kakuwangan sa eskwelahan. Ato lang nang hinay-hinayan og puno. Kutob sa among mahatag, among ihatag kay gi-adopt na man mo namo,” de la Peña said.

“There is only one reason why they helped us—so TIS will have more intellectual students. Because once we are competitive enough, we can already be a great contribution to our nation,” TIS principal Nathaniel Flores also said.

Michelle Pador, who teaches Makabayan subjects to grades 4, 5 and 6 pupils, said that since she started teaching five years ago, the school was not given any major assistance.

“We already accepted the fact that our distance might have discouraged companies and other donors from helping us so we had to help our own school ourselves,” she said.

Tabunan Integrated School is located in Tabunan, a mountain barangay almost 50 kilometers away from Cebu City and is located near to Mt. Manunggal. Since its location is more isolated than the rest of the barangays in Cebu City, TIS rarely receives assistance from various sectors.

So when Pag-IBIG expressed their intention to adopt TIS, she and the rest of the school teachers thought a miracle had just happened.

During the turnover of materials, employees of Pag-IBIG had to hire a six-wheeler truck to bring all the materials to the school.

“We feel so grateful and blessed that we were chosen by Pag-IBIG. We will surely maximize the usage of all the materials they have given us,” Pador said.

For grade 7 pupil Ian Dave Omlero, who received school supplies, the school supplies will help his family save more for his other educational needs.

“My parents won’t have a hard time buying a lot of things that I needed in school. I also like going to the library now because we already have a lot of books to read and use when we have assignments and projects,” he said.

Pag-IBIG started supporting the school when it provided painting materials in 2012 which has spruced up the entire school. Funds for that activity were obtained from P500 contributions of all Pag-IBIG employees.

For this year, however, Pag-IBIG employees additionally contributed personal funds for the purchase of an oven and other kitchen utensils that will be used for the school’s Home Economics class.

Pag-IBIG also plans to give out slippers and a sewing machine for the school’s TechVoc program.