School gets new building

A total of 141 kindergarten pupils of Maghaway Elementary School in Talisay City, Cebu will now attend classes in their new classrooms.

This after the Visayan Electric Co. (Veco) and Aboitiz Foundation Inc. turned over to the school a one-story, two-classroom school building last Tuesday.

Maghaway school principal Meluz Noval said she hoped the children will be more focused on their studies now that they have new classrooms. Each classroom is equipped with two wall fans, a bookshelf, chairs and tables. Noval said the project would further strengthen the friendship between the school and project stakeholders like Veco, Aboitiz Foundation and Aklat, Gabay, Aruga tungo sa Pag-angat at Pag-Asa (Agapp).

Agapp chairperson and presidential sister Pinky Aquino-Abellada, in her message read by Agapp Cebu representative Gabby Cruz, reminded the first batch of beneficiaries of the school building to study well to fulfill their ambition. She recalled being told by her father, the late senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr. to study well because education is an investment that cannot be taken away from them.

She further thanked the Aboitiz Foundation and Veco for funding the construction of the school building. She said Aboitiz is the biggest contributor of Agapp’s school building project nationwide. Out of the 700 classrooms donated, 134 came from Aboitiz Foundation.

She said the children in Maghaway are very lucky because the typical Agapp school building has no electric fans. She reminded the teachers that the building will be used solely for kindergarten classes and not for any other purpose.

Danny Cerence, Aboitiz Foundation assistant vice president for Operations and Veco Community Relations manager reminded the teachers of their duty to take good care of the building, which is designed by Agapp, so succeeding batches can still use it.

Ching said the school building project is Aboitiz’s way of giving back to the community. /EDITORIAL ASSISTANT TITO P. TAN