Pagcor donates another school building in Davao

THE Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation’s ( Pagcor) has donated a threestorey 18-classroom building to Sixto Babao Elementary School ( SBES) in Barangay Ilang, Bunawan, Davao City to help the institution address the growing number of its students.

SBES, which accommodates over 2,200 students for the school year 2017 to 2018, was hit by a storm less than a year ago. Apart from the occasional floods and the its muddy grounds, SBES’s lack of classrooms was still the main concern for students, according to Aliminda Castanares, who is in charge of managing the school.

Castanares said that out of SBES’s 48 classrooms, only 24 are functional and the other rooms are either termite-infested or too small to accommodate the students. “Sa isang classroom mga 50 to 68 pupils ang gumagamit,” she said.

She added that most of the classrooms were constructed in the 1950’s and were no longer functional. “Yung ibang classrooms hindi na namin talaga magamit dahil sa sobrang kalumaan. Madidilim tapos hindi na maganda The three-story, 18- classroom school building donated by Pagcor to SBES ang amoy na pumapasok sa classroom,” she added.

By donating a school building, Pagcor has reduced SBES’s studentto-classroom ratio of 1:68 to at least 1:47. Apart from SBES, the F. Bustamante Central Elementary and Imelda Elementary School in Davao City also received a threestorey, 18-classroom school buildings from Pagcor.

Meanwhile, Catalunan Pequeno National High School received a two- storey, ten- classroom school building.

”After the new school building was constructed, even our teachers were excited to transfer. We were all happy because the rooms were very spacious and conducive for learning,” Castanares said.

Pagcor has completed a total of 149 school buildings in the Davao region.