Nationwide cleanup of public schools by volunteers starts

KAYAPA, Nueva Vizcaya—Education Secretary Armin Luistro will lead from here today the nationwide launch of Brigada Eskwela, or National Schools Maintenance Week, that brings together the government and the private sector in ensuring the public schools will be ready to welcome back students on June 13.

“The annual Brigada Eskwela is our version of the modern bayanihan where all sectors pitch in to make sure that our schools are clean, safe, disaster-prepared and conducive to learning when the students troop back in June,” Luistro said.

Through this initiative, started in 2003, volunteers from various government agencies and the private sector contribute their time, effort and resources to repair and clean up the public school facilities that will be used by around 21 million elementary and high school students, Luistro said.

According to Luistro, Brigada Eskwela has had more than 40 million volunteers since 2010. He added that since the program started, around P28.6 billion of in-kind donations, such as school furniture, construction and repair materials, had been donated by the private sector.

“Our goal here is to see to it that on June 13 our classrooms are busy with the day’s lesson because the schools had already been prepared,” the education secretary said.

Brigada Eskwela, with the theme “Tayo Para sa Paaralang Ligtas, Maayos at Handa Mula Kindergarten Hanggang Senior High School (We are for safe, orderly and prepared schools from Kindergarten to senior high school),” will run until June 4.

For his last Brigada Eskwela, Luistro will lead the maintenance work at Aritao National High School, Pingkian Central Elementary School, Cutar Elementary School, Bone North Elementary School, Aritao Central School and Sta. Cruz Pingkian National High School, which caters to indigenous peoples.

Luistro said groups or individuals wanting to take part in the activity may coordinate with the public schools or Department of Education field offices nationwide.

He said both the private and public schools were “more than ready” to welcome the first batch of senior high school students as a result of the cooperation of various sectors.