Operation Damayan: Charity without boundaries

Manila, Philippines -  Charity knows no boundaries, especially for volunteers of Operation Damayan, the socio-humanitarian arm of The Philippine STAR.

In two of The STAR’s latest adopt-a-school initiatives held last month, Operation Damayan hied off to Naic, Cavite and Baras, Rizal to turn over new school buildings that were constructed by the country’s biggest newspaper group.

The facilities benefit close to 500 students of these two schools that have been ravaged by time and a serious lack of resources.

In Barangay Muzon, Naic, Cavite, Beatriz Paglinawan had eagerly looked forward to this year’s school opening. Her grandson, Jemson, was going to school for the first time at Muzon Elementary School, where her four children had finished elementary. To her disappointment, however, the Grade 1 classroom was condemned and could no longer be used.

“It was saddening for us because we didn’t know where Jemson would study. The school did not have a spare room,” Paglinawan said.

To address the problem, school officials decided to rearrange room assignments: Day-care students were transferred to the barangay hall, displaced Grade 6 students were made to hold classes at the covered stage, while Grade 3 pupils moved to the Home Economics room, which doubled as a practicum room.

Sixth grader Marjorie Bosutros, 12, was not happy with the arrangement, citing countless distractions that they have to contend with, especially during break time.

“It’s noisy there. We are also exposed to heat, dust and rain,” she noted.

According to principal Ernesto Mojica, the foundations of the three classrooms – known as the Marcos building since they were constructed in 1965 – had begun to collapse while the walls were tilting and the roof leaking, rendering them unsafe to use.

“We cannot take the risk... Our classrooms may collapse anytime,” said Mojica.

Luckily for the school, The STAR’s Operation Damayan was on the lookout for an adopt-a-school beneficiary in Cavite when volunteers led by coordinator Emie Cruz spotted the dilapidated school building. The team wasted no time in providing the school with much-needed assistance.

When the Damayan team discussed its plans with him, the school principal admitted he was skeptical.

“Many had come here and promised to help us, but nothing happened. I thought this was just one of those empty promises,” he said.

But all doubts were erased when the Damayan team undertook the construction of a new building with three classrooms, culminating in a turnover held last June 22.

As has been its custom, The STAR also gave out uniforms and school supplies to all 267 students of the school on inauguration day, apart from treating the school to a day of fun and food consisting of congee and boiled eggs for breakfast and fried chicken and hotdog-on-a-stick for lunch, all lovingly prepared by Damayan volunteers. The STAR also donated items for the school canteen to sell.

Proudly displaying their new bags and supplies, students of the Muzon Elementary School (left) in Naic, Cavite pose with school principal Ernesto Mojica in front of their newly inaugurated school building. Right: School division superintendent Yolanda Carpina, principal Mojica, fiscal Hilda Mendoza Cuartero and school representatives join volunteers of The STAR’s Operation Damayan led by coordinator Emie Cruz in inaugurating the Muzon Elementary School’s new building. JOVEN CAGANDE

“I’m so overwhelmed. You just happened to pass by here, and we become so blessed,” Mojica said.

The story is replicated in a far-flung, mountainous area of Baras, Rizal, where The STAR also constructed a school building with three classrooms at a cost of over P1 million.

San Roque Elementary School used to have only three functioning classrooms that catered to students from kindergarten to Grade 6.

Due to its lack of facilities, the school would be forced to hold two grade level classes simultaneously in one classroom without the benefit of a partition.

“You can just imagine how difficult it is to teach when you can hear another teacher explaining lessons to another set of students. We have no dividing wall, so the kids get distracted easily,” lamented Ellen Atterado, a teacher at San Roque Elementary School.

Seeing the school’s needs, The STAR did not hesitate to lend a helping hand, immediately starting the construction of three new classrooms in time for the June school opening.

“The kids were very excited. They would look at the building every day as it was being completed,” Atterado shared.

Finally, last June 28, in the midst of intermittent rain, teachers, students, parents and volunteers of Operation Damayan led by STAR president and CEO Miguel Belmonte gathered to witness the inauguration of the new classrooms. Kids feasted on champorado and pan de sal for breakfast.

“We thank The Philippine STAR for this priceless contribution to the students and teachers of San Roque Elementary School. The only way we can repay you is by saying thank you over and over and by means of our applause of appreciation,” remarked Baras Mayor Willie Robles, who donated textbooks to the school and attended the turnover.

The STAR’s assistance did not stop with the construction of the new classrooms. The STAR also gave out new bags containing assorted school materials, shorts, t-shirts, and slippers. As it did in Naic, Cavite, The STAR also furnished the classrooms with new armchairs, filing cabinets, and blackboards.

“We thought it was just going to be classrooms, but with all the help you have given to the children, the students and the community truly feel so blessed,” commented Ronnie Llagas, principal of San Roque Elementary School.

Besides classrooms, one of the rooms was turned into a multi-function room with a fully furnished mini-library, clinic and a mini-kitchen.

“I am excited to use the new classrooms. Now we all have our own!” said 10-year-old Harvey Malen Baldelomar.

“I’m going to use the new library to read new books. I want to finish school and become a policeman someday,” added Robin Castro, 11.

Operation Damayan also built a common comfort room for the school’s old rooms and a wash area where the kids can keep their hands and feet clean since most of them go to school on foot, their hands getting all muddied and dirty by the time they arrive.

“We can wash our feet now and not feel and look dirty while we’re studying. It’s a big help to us,” said 12-year-old Rea Ynopia, who, together with her nine-year-old sister Ruby, traverses 12 creeks every day for three hours just to get to school.

“It’s overwhelming and everyone here in the community is so happy and thankful,” added Gemma Bautista, mother of one of the students in San Roque.

Operation Damayan was founded by the late STAR founding chairman Betty Go-Belmonte in 1986 to help sick and needy children. But over the years, its year-round missions have expanded to cover disaster relief, bridge education, scholarships, environmental efforts, and adopt-a-school initiatives.

It is now being continued by Mrs. Belmonte’s son Miguel, who thinks much of the impact of The STAR’s adopt-a-school project on the country’s future.

“As leaders of this generation, I consider it our responsibility to prepare the future generation, that’s why ‘adopting’ schools, especially those that have suffered from neglect, has become our advocacy. It is The STAR’s way of supporting education and giving the children a better future,” he said.

Since 2002 when the first school was adopted in the hinterlands of Barangay Banga-an, Banaue, Ifugao, The STAR has been adopting one public school per year, but Belmonte decided to make this year an exception by extending much-needed assistance to two schools.

Behind all the thank you’s and smiles at the inauguration, it is the volunteers of Operation Damayan that deserve the biggest applause.

“It is really the volunteers of Operation Damayan that make this all possible. They work all day and all night just to be able to help the communities that need it most. That is the core of Operation Damayan that my mother envisioned – helping our countrymen in our own small way,” Belmonte said.

The Philippine STAR expresses its deepest gratitude to the following donors for their kind contributions: United Laboratories, medicine and vitamins; San Miguel Corp., 40 cases of bottled water and juice; ASA Trading, three wall fans; Premier Adhesives, two wall fans; Gerbel General Merchandise, two wall fans; Graphis Sales, three wall fans; Ritzfel Industrial Sales, two wall fans; Western Ink Corp., bath soap; Bullseye, computer set with colored printer; MGB, P60,000 worth of school bags and supplies; Salve Asis, waste cans; May Ochoa, plates and cups; Marie Portes, trays; Lenie Javier and Adelfa Canonigo, four chess board sets; Raymond Cruzana, Scrabble set; Romel Lara, P2,000 for school cabinet; Tony Paño, foot rugs; P.S. dealer, foot rugs, dustpans and broom; Vivian Guevara, blanket; Mario Mendoza, blanket; Wilcy Saguid, pillows with pillow cases; Jonathan Manguila, basketball set; Billy Bautista, Scrabble set; and national account executives group, P4,700 worth of monobloc chairs.