SM, Duty Free donate 4 classrooms to Bogo City

CEBU, Philippines - A four-classroom building built by SM Foundation in partnership with Duty Free Shop was turned over yesterday to Marcelo Fernan Elementary School in Bogo City.

The two-storey school building was ready for occupancy. It was equipped with armchairs, teacher’s desks, 16 wall fans, eight blackboards and toilet in each of the four classrooms.

Juris Soliman, head of SM Foundation School Building Program, said it was the 80th building they have donated. There were already a total of 248 classrooms donated nationwide.

Bogo City was chosen as one of the beneficiaries of the program because it was badly affected by super typhoon Yolanda in 2013. Earlier, the city’s Polambato Elementary School also received three school buildings which are now being utilized by the pupils.

SM Foundation in collaboration with Deutsche Bank donated two buildings with 10 classrooms in 2014, a year after Yolanda. Soliman assured that they will also repair school buildings once every five years.

DFS assistant general manager Ciaron O'neil is hoping that the school building can help provide quality education to the children in Bogo City. He said it was their company’s first school building donation in the Philippines since they were only supporting Haiti and Cambodia in the past years.

He added that they chose Bogo City considering that 20 percent of DFS staff in Abhu Dhabi are Filipinos and 14 of them were from Bogo City.

School Principal Brigith Jugasa said they are happy for the blessing. She said 659 students currently enrolled in the school will benefit from the new classrooms. (FREEMAN)