Bayambang PTA gets more donations for school repairs
COJUANGCO UPDATES
BAYAMBANG–—All they want for Christmas is for their children to be allowed to go back to the old site of the centennial Bayambang Central School (BCS) in Zone 2, Barangay Poblacion here.
Filipinas Alcantara, president of the Parents-Teachers Association, said Wednesday that two weeks ago, she, together with some volunteers who also have children studying in the school, teamed up to volunteer to help repair and repaint the abandoned classrooms.
Adopting the bayanihan spirit, the volunteers were assigned tasks to do marketing, cooking, sweeping, carpentry, painting, liaison work from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily.
The pupils of Bayambang Central School sit on the newly-delivered armchairs donated by kind-hearted citizens while their parents do voluntary work for the repair of their abandoned classrooms to fulfill their Christmas wish for their kids to return to their old school site in Poblacion.
Their efforts encouraged others, particularly college students and parents who are alumni of the school, to give their share to save the BCS from total abandonment by rendering voluntary work, too.
Alcantara said their mission possible is to repair 60 classrooms that they aim to finish before Christmas. It, however, does not include the burnt centennial Gabaldon-type building with 12 classrooms that needs major repairs.
“They are happy because our wish to return to the old site is starting to be realized. Our efforts are now bearing fruit,” she said. “It’s an answered prayer when Good Samaritans came in to help us make our wish come true,” she added.
She said they are thankful for the speed of rehabilitation work after former Pangasinan Fifth District Rep. Mark Cojuangco gave P1-million from his personal funds and the Samahang Industriya at Agrikultura (SINAG) led by Engr. Rosendo So committed P400,000.
Immediately after Cojuangco and So pledged their help, more donations started pouring in for the provision of 2,000 armchairs and tables and chairs for teachers. So posted in his Facebook account the names of donors who quickly responded to help the pupils and the school repair.
More than a hundred armchairs have arrived in the initial delivery. More are expected to be delivered in the coming days as donors for the armchairs and teachers’ tables have been completed.
Alcantara said she is confident their wish for their children to return to their original school site would be realized despite efforts being made by some local leaders to make their temporary relocation to a new site in Barangay Bical, about a kilometer away from the old site, to become permanent.
“Our dream is for the children to graduate in the original school site. That’s our common prayer,” she said. She added many children cheered when told they would return soon to their old school.
Last year, amid protests, the BCS was relocated to a new site after a reported swap deal was made between the local government unit and a Manila businessman.
A court case about the transfer of the school to a new site remains pending.
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