P64.5M for school buildings

The Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID) has partnered with nonprofit Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP) in a A$1.5 million (P64.5 million) project for the reconstruction of public schools affected by deadly flash floods in Northern Mindanao in December 2011.

Three schools in the disaster-stricken region were chosen to receive the assistance from the project, “Catching Up: School Building Construction for Sendong-affected Shools in Cagayan and Iligan Cities.”

Beneficiary schools include Bonbon Elementary School in Cagayan de Oro, Iligan City, East 1 Central School and Northeast 1-A Central School, both in Iligan City, where some 6,000 students are enrolled and 200 teachers work.

Tropical Storm “Sendong” damaged some P114.93 million worth of education facilities, equipment and materials in December, affecting 482 classrooms in 60 schools around Northern Mindanao, according to data from the Department of Education.—Tarra Quismundo