Holiday cheers for poor students with bikes

BIKE BRIGADE Students try their new BMX bicycles during the “Bisikleta para sa Banquero” turnover at Banquerohan National High School in Barangay Banquerohan, Legazpi City. MARK ALVIC ESPLANA

LEGAZPI CITY—It felt like Christmas on Tuesday for 130 students of Banquerohan National High School (BNHS) in Legazpi City when each of them received a BMX bike as a holiday present.

Mark Lawrence Asaytuno, 14, a Grade 8 pupil, beamed as he inspected the brand new bike he received under the “Bisikleta para sa Banquero” project aimed at helping poor students who walk or ride a tricycle every day from home to school and back in Barangay Banquerohan.

He smiled at the thought that he can now reach school on time.

“With this bike, I’ll make sure that I will never fail to be late again in my class. In fact, I am more inspired to go to school so that I’ll finish high school,” Asaytuno said. The farmer’s son has dreamed of becoming a physician.

No more excuses

Every day, the boy had to walk for about an hour to go to school. By the time he reaches his classroom, he had very little energy left to participate in discussions about the day’s lessons, he said.

For 13-year-old Eligio B. Ala, who is in first year high school, acquiring a bicycle was a dream come true. Now, he has no more excuse to be absent from his classes.

“Actually, I am always absent from my class because of financial problems. I have no money for tricycle fare. The income of my father as a farmer is enough only for our daily subsistence,” he said.

Ala showered the school principal, Jeremy A. Cruz, with thanks for choosing him as one of the beneficiaries of the bicycle project.

“If I did not qualify, for sure my parents will be forced to stop sending me to school and give way to my elder brother who will be in college next year,” said Ala, who was unable to hold back his tears.

Symbols of hope

Cruz, 44, who initiated the project and launched the Helping Educate Less Privileged Students (HELPS) project on Nov. 18, said he hoped that the bicycles would symbolize hope for the recipients—that there is a way out of poverty.

He said he and his colleagues came up with the idea to address the increasing number of poor students dropping out because they did not have the means to go to school.

“I believe that schools, aside from teaching, have the responsibility to help (its students). We have to put an end to poverty and any school head can do this as long as the problem is identified,” Cruz said.

Of the 1,162 students of BNHS, 130 who were at risk of dropping out due to poverty were given priority in using the bicycles, Cruz said.

With the bikes, absences and tardiness would be lessened and, in effect, teachers would be more inspired to hold classes as there would be no more class interruptions by latecomers, he added.

Turnover

The recipients do not actually own the bikes, but are to use these for as long as they remain in school, or until they graduate from high school. The bikes will then be turned over to the next batch of beneficiaries.

To ensure the safety of every biker, Legazpi Mayor Noel Rosal, who attended the bike giving ceremony on Tuesday, pledged to provide helmets to the students.

Dr. Ofelia Samar-Sy, one of the project’s supporters, noted an extra benefit to encouraging students to use bicycles. “Biking as a form of exercise is very beneficial to health as it will prolong life and will stimulate growth hormones and improve the memory of the individual,” she said.

Cruz said he was overwhelmed by the success of the project.

He recalled that he started with only two bicycles he had donated as a way of sharing his blessings to two students of the school after he was named by the provincial government outstanding principal of Albay early this year.

The concept cropped up during his casual conversation with a high school friend, Marie Llaguno-Quisumbing, who, in turn, was able to raise 30 bicycle pledges with the help of US-based Joe Matias, also a native of Legazpi.

Soon, the campaign snowballed and by Nov. 14, the Bisikleta para sa Banquero was officially launched.

Cruz said he was grateful to the benefactors who openly extended their help.