SAN PABLO CITY, Laguna (PNA) -– Both the SM Prime Holdings Inc. and SM Foundation Inc, with building contractor Monolith Construction and Development Corporation, assured school administrators, teachers and students here recently that their donation of school buildings in the Southern Tagalog region complied with building safety standards.
Grade 3 and 4 teachers and students of the Santa Monica Elementary School here expressed elation on Monday as they enjoyed the comfort and convenience of their new classroom with built-in restroom.
Grade IV adviser Leo R. Capili with his students gestured their gratitude to the SM donors and Monolith with a chalk drawing displayed on the new blackboards as a fitting gift on the occasion of World Teachers’ Day celebration last October 5.
Capili enthused at the spacious classroom with the proper lighting and ventilation and the interior arrangements provide the conducive learning atmosphere for the students.
Besides the school building, SM Foundation also donated additional classroom facilities such as two personal computers to upgrade their library services and turned over assorted books.
Renato H. Cortez, Santa Monica school principal, said the school building donations are part of the “Adopt-A-School Program” of the DepEd with the SM Group of companies and Monolith.
The program also includes 100 pieces armchairs, two teacher’s desks, eight wall type electric fans and two blackboards with the total project cost of P1.1 million.
Monolith construction corporation administrative manager Engr. Joanna Christin Y. Sia told school officials here for the maintenance of the building as she assured a contractor’s inspector to check on the building and for trouble shooting when needed.
The classroom building also complied with the local City Ordinance No. 79 series of 1994 authored by then San Pablo City Vice Mayor Danton Q. Bueser who introduced the construction of toilet as a requirement in every school classroom in the city.
Then city councilor as youth council federation president and now Laguna provincial Senior Board Member Katherine C. Agapay was among those who approved of the local measure.
Carmen Linda M. Atayde, SM Foundation Inc. Senior Vice President and Executive Director for Education said this two-classroom building is the 6th unit they have donated for the Southern Tagalog region and the 54th unit nationwide.
According to Atayde, the SM Foundation, Inc. as the socio-civic arm of the SM Group of Companies, also offers educational scholarships for poor but deserving students in the host localities of SM Department Stores and Supermalls.
Atayde said SM’s educational advocacy through the scholarship program aims to transform the indigent youths into future professionals in various fields such as engineering, medicine and entrepreneurship.
Those who also attended the occasion were Laguna 3rd District Congresswoman Sol Aragones-Sampelo and City Mayor Loreto S. Amante graced the ceremonies with SM Mall manager Gabriel Timothy D. Exconde, City Schools Superintendent Susan DL Oribiana and School District Supervisors Ileen A. Roda, Elizabeth Guia Vergara, Rhea Artillaga Dacara, and Rodel A. Baclig; City Councilor Enrico Galicia, Barangay Santa Monica chair Daniel Acejo and the members of the village council.