Deal to benefit Mandaue schools

Aboitiz Foundation signed a partnership agreement with the Mandaue City government and the Department of Education (DepEd) last Oct. 1.

The agreement involved P30-million worth of projects for the 10 elementary and secondary public high schools in Mandaue City.

These projects will include the construction of school buildings, refurbishment of baking and science laboratories and donation of armchairs.

A total of 26 classrooms will be constructed for Canduman Elementary School, Subangdaku Technical Vocational School, Tingub High School, Cabancalan 1 Elementary School, Banilad Elementary School and Mandaue City Central School. Armchairs will be provided for the classrooms.

The baking laboratories of Cabancalan National High School and Mandaue City Comprehensive National High School, and the science laboratories of Jagobiao National High School and Mandaue City Science High School will also be renovated.

Signing the agreement were Mayor Jonas Cortes, Vice Mayor Glenn Bercede, Aboitiz Foundation president Jon Ramon Aboitiz and Assistant Mandaue City Schools Division Superintendent Nimfa Bongo.

Aboitiz said they chose Mandaue as their beneficiary because its officials have been responsive in allocating counterpart funds for the foundation’s projects.

“This (partnership) is a good example of … networking to be able to give Mandaue City residents better education,” the foundation’s president said.

Mayor Cortes said the project will help address the perennial problem of classroom shortage in the city’s public schools.

Mandaue City needs 200 more classrooms in the elementary and secondary levels.

Work on these projects will start this month and is due for completion in February 2012.

The Foundation has approved P21 million for the implementation of these projects. The city government will shoulder the remaining P9 million.