SM Foundation turns over new building to Pampanga school

MANILA, Philippines — Because of the donation of a two-story, four-classroom schoolbuilding to the Telebastagan Integrated School, elementary pupils no longer had to go on shifting class schedules beginning Oct. 29.

The new school building, to be used by Grades 4 and 6, was turned over on Oct. 26 by the SM Foundation Inc. and SM Prime through engineer Ramon Gil Macapagal to school principal Nancy Gamboa, local officials led by San Fernando Mayor Edwin Santiago and Department of Education schools superintendent Ronnie Mallari.

This is the 91st school building donated by SM Prime through the SM Foundation in the 60 years of its operation with a total of 292 classrooms since the schoolbuilding program of the foundation began nationwide in 2002.

The schoolbuilding also marked the first partnership with Italy’s shoemaker Bata through its Bata Children’s Program Foundation, which seeks to tie up with other foundations like SM in building more schools in the country. Bata, the shoe store, is soon opening its new branch at SM Telebastagan mall.

The schoolbuilding is fully furnished with 200 armchairs (of which 20 are for left-handed pupils), four sets of teacher’s tables/chairs, 16 wall fans, eight blackboards, four wall clocks and a toilet for each classroom.

It is also equipped with an emergency staircase on both sides of the building, fire alarm bell, emergency light at the staircase landing, and with ramps and toilets for disabled people.

The desks were all made by the PWD Foundation, which is supported by the SM Foundation through all the years to ensure the sustainability of its services to people with disabilities.

“We don’t just donate. SM boosts the PWDs’ self-pride and self-esteem with the chairs they make,” SM Foundation’s schoolbuilding program head Juris Soliman said.