New school building opens doors to Balanga pupils

BALANGA CITY, Philippines — In time for the opening of school year 2019-2020,  SM Prime through SM Foundation turned over a fully furnished two-story, four-classroom school building to the Balanga Elementary School in Balanga City, the capital of Bataan.

This is SM Foundation’s 93rd school building donation since 2002, when it became a partner of the Department of Education (DepEd)’s Adopt-A-School Program.

The new school building follows the specifications of the DepEd just like the other school buildings donated by SM Foundation. It is also emergency-ready with a staircase on both sides of the building, fire alarm bell and emergency lights at the landings of both staircases, according to SM Foundation school building program coordinator Juris Soliman.

The building is also provided with 200 armchairs, 20 of which are specially designed for left-handed students. Each classroom has a set of teacher’s table/chair, wall fans, blackboards, toilet and wall clock. The wall clocks donation is also in support of DepEd’s Project WATCH (We Advocate Time Consciousness and Honesty).

SM’s concern for Persons with Disability is not only evident in the school buildings that are provided with a ramp for easy access by PWDs and PWD-friendly toilet. PWDs’ self-pride and self-esteem are boosted as SM commissions the PWDs of the Foundation of These-Abled Inc. to make the armchairs and/or the pre-school furniture and the teacher’s table and chair sets.

In support of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, SM, in cooperation with the contractor KHMAYA, added two new facilities to the school building: a book corner with shelves and chairs, and a 10-faucet hand-washing area accessible to all users.

Gracing the turnover ceremonies were school principal Ameila Inieto; Schools Division Superintendent officer-in-charge Carolina Violeta; North SM Supermalls regional operations manager Cesar Bondoc; SM Supermalls vice president-North Junias Eusebio; SM Foundation trustee Ramon Gil Macapagal and Balanga City Mayor Francis Anthony Garcia.

A day before the turnover, SM Retail hosted a book reading session with pupils from the Balanga Elementary School; turned over books which were donated through SM’s Donate a Book Project; and turned over computers donated by SM Pampanga.