Students, teachers as ‘heroes’

It all started with a solicitation to build a school stage.

From there, Don Calixto Yongco Elementary School in Mandaue City became the recipient of books and education sessions sponsored by AboitizLand Inc. through its “You Can Be a Hero” outreach program.

AboitizLand Inc. Marketing Officer Jamila Liwalug said the program, which started last July and ends sometime this school year, is aimed at encouraging both teacher and student to dream “and bring out the hero in them.”

When Cebu Daily News visited the school last Oct. 7, the students were designing Christmas cards.

Liwalug said the Christmas card with the best design will be printed with the student’s name on it.

“The Christmas cards will be given to the clients of AboitizLand Inc. It is part of our Christmas give -aways. It’s a special kind of printing. It’s a special talent and it’s for a cause.” she said.

Liwalug explained that this is the first time that AboitizLand Inc. allowed students to design their Christmas cards instead of paying another company to make the design for them.

“It’s more personalized. Our target is to make 1,000 different designs. We provide them the materials and their names will be placed on the cards. A corresponding fund will go to the school once they finish the card designs,” she said.

Nida Alcantara, Don Calixto Yongco Tawason Elementary School Grade Six adviser, said the school became a beneficiary after they addressed a solicitation letter to Aboitiz Pristina North, a development near their school, for funds to build their school stage.

“An Aboitiz staffer asked us about the needs of the school. I told the staff that we needed a stage for our commencement activities and other school programs but our long term goal is to have a good school building,” Alcantara said.

After a few months, AboitizLand Inc. funded the stage of the school.

“They also helped us improve our school building. They donated materials for our school library,” principal Asuncion Balen said.

For their educational sessions, AboitizLand Inc. sends volunteer teachers and provides snacks, materials and other materials to the school’s Grade Six students.

AboitizLand Inc. Community Relations Officer Corazon “Cori” Baybay said the teachers conduct group dynamics, games and learning exercises during their three-hour educational sessions with the Grade Six students.

“From Math, English and Science to basic personal safety procedures, it’s a different way of teaching kids to enhance their capacity and help the educational fund. It’s something new,” Baybay said.

She said they use multi-media presentations to enhance their teaching sessions.

One of the beneficiaries is Grade Six student Chyen Branzuela, president of the school’s School Pupil Government.

The daughter of a habal-habal driver and a seller of carton boxes, Branzuela said the teaching sessions inspired her to become a teacher when she goes to college.

Balen said the teaching sessions helped their schoolchildren.

“Before, we ranked 4th in the National Achievement Test (NAT). At present, we ranked second in the NAT. We also ranked fourth in the Regional Achievement Test (RAT),” Balen said.

The school has nine regular teachers, three kindergarten volunteer teachers, 377 students from Grades One to Six and 68 students in the preparatory school.

AboitizLand Inc. also holds chess clinics for students and speech training for teachers every Saturday.

The “You Can be a Hero” program also counts among its beneficiaries the Mabolo Elementary School, Gabi Elementary School and Canduman Elementary School in Mandaue City.  /Rhea Ruth V. Rosell, Correspondent