Four classroom buildings jointly and combinedly completed by
Philippines-U.S. soldiers under the shoulder-to-shoulder bilateral exercise
Balikatan 2015 were successfully turned-over Wednesday and Thursday to local
school administrations in three barangays in this capital city.
Wednesday’s turn-over at the San Rafel Elementary School
(SRES) and the San Rafael National High School (SRNHS) in Barangay San Rafael
were draped in cultural and traditional festivities that include performances
of folkloric songs, ethnic dances by grateful Tagbanua indigenous peoples
(IPs), and the customary Filipino game “palo sebo” (stick/pole grease) gamely
competed in by U.S. soldiers.
The classroom buildings, whose construction started March
16, were turned-over as the Exercise Balikatan 2015 prepares to fold all
activities to officially end on April 30.
Interestingly, all ribbon-cutting ceremonies on both days
used a special kind of scissor – whopping and outsized -- never seen before by
the locals, who called it “higanteng gunting,” or giant scissor.
Tagbanua beneficiaries
Tagbanua IP student Caloy Bacane, 11, was thrilled when he
learned Tuesday that come opening of classes in June, they would not hold
lectures anymore under the Talisay tree following the formal turn-over of two
RP-US Balikatan 2015 school buildings in Barangay San Rafael.
"Sobrang saya talaga kasi may bago na kaming classroom
(We are really jubilant because of these new classrooms)," the young
Tagbanua student told the Philippine News Agency (PNA) after performing
"Kendar," an ethnic dance of Thanksgiving for the guests, along with
his siblings and father, and grandfather, who performed buoyant melodies out of
the cover of the caldron they use to cook rice.
Caloy, who wants to be a soldier, belongs to the Central
Tagbanua indigenous community, one of the oldest tribal groups in Palawan .
An incoming Grade 6 student, Caloy goes to school barefoot
every day with a pair of old, weary school uniform, said his mother, Zenaida
Bacane, 35.
They could not buy him a new pair of slippers or shoes
because they are all seven children, and cash is not easy for them to earn as
indigenous peoples.
"Mahirap talaga. Katulad naming mga katutubo, ‘yung iba
hindi talaga makapag-aral dahil sa kahirapan. Yung iba nakakapag-aral, pero kadalasan
lumang-luma na ang mga gamit noong isang taon pa kasi wala talagang pambili
(Life here is hard. Like us indigenous people; some are unable to get schooling
because of poverty. Some seemed lucky, but most of the time they go to school
using old school supplies kept from last year because they have no money to buy
new ones)," she said, whose family subsists on fishing, and making and
selling roofing materials out of nipa palms (pawid).
Zenaida believes elementary education is the foundation of
children on achieving their goals and aspirations in life.
"Kapag maganda ang mga silid-aralan, magiging mataas
din ang antas ng edukasyon dito at magiging maganda ang kinabukasan ng mga bata
balang araw (When classrooms are conducive for learning, the level of education
here in our community will improve, and our children would get a brighter
future in their lives later)," she said.
While he appeared shy, Caloy's words represent ardency in
him. Asked what he wants in life, in simplicity, he uttered, "Makapagtapos
ng pag-aaral, tapos makilala kaming mga netibo, at hind ikakahiyang kami ay
netibo (To finish my studies, and ot be recognized as an indigenous people, and
to be recognized with respect, and not being embarrassed by who we are).”
The SRES in San
Rafael
School Principal Miguelita Magbanua told the PNA, "We
are so blessed to have this Balikatan, because ever since, it's almost 20 years,
if I remember, we weren't able to get new classroom projects from our local and
national governments."
Magbanua stressed they used to fit in close to 60 students
in one classroom, which was far from the ideal classroom size of 40.
Amidst the scarcity of classrooms in the elementary school,
Brigadier Gen. Rodolfo Santiago, assistant BK 2015 director, thinks quality
education here is being guaranteed, as testified by 11-yr. old Edmeray Denubo's
speech of gratitude at the turn-over ceremony.
"Her speech of gratitude was amazing; that they were
given a facility that will enable them in the future to help their fellow men,
and that was exceptional knowing it was from a kid -- her articulacy mirrors
the quality of education here in San
Rafael
Denubo, the 2015 class valedictorian, told the PNA she wants
to be a lawyer someday "to help the poor, and the innocent people, who
become the victim of injustice.”
On the other hand, Major Gen. Paul Brief, commanding general
of the 4th Marine Division (4MD), United States Marines Corps (USMC) said,
"It's been a great opportunity for us and work shoulder-to-shoulder with
the Philippine forces to build something [such as these] that will have a
lasting effect for the community."
"We love to come here in the Philippines
Aside from San
Rafael
With two classrooms, Col. Noel dela Cruz of the 6th Civil
Relations Group (CRG) of the Western Command (WESCOM) said it can sit in 40-50
students per room, and can also accommodate a second floor later as it was
built sturdily and is climate change resilient.
“This is a very well-constructed school building, and this
should help shape better futures for the students here,” Dela Cruz said.
Balikatan 2015 legacy
At the Sta. Lourdes National High School (SLNHS), classmates
Jane Rose Beltram and Ma. Christine Ticar, Grade 7 students, could not stop
staring at the Balikatan school building, whose construction, they said was
“fast.”
“Sa library lang po kami nagkla-klase dati dahil di kami
kasya sa room namin. Ang bilis po nilang nagawa (We hold our classes before in
the library because we cannot fit anymore in our old room. They were fast in
completing them),” the skinny 12-yr. old Beltram told the PNA Thursday at the
turn-over in Barangay Sta. Lourdes.
“Masaya po kami na mayroon na kaming classroom (We are happy
that we now have a classroom),”Ticar supplied.
Former Sta. Lourdes barangay chairman Roberto Paloma, who is
now the vice president of the Parents-Teachers Association (PTA) of the SLNHS,
and who helped provide personal labor duties to the joint RP-US and Australian
soldiers, said it is elating to see the “finished product” of the shoulder-to-shoulder
exercise.
“I was here every day to help doing labor tasks as this was
our agreement in the PTA. I can’t help but be overwhelmed by how it looks like
now, completed and ready to receive the students,” Paloma said.
He added that the school also becomes a part of him. “I
helped construct so, I am also proud of the accomplishment of this legacy of
our friends from Balikatan,” he said.
Vice Admiral Alexander Lopez, the commander of the WESCOM
and this year’s Balikatan overall exercise director in the Philippines
The school, Lopez said, can help in carving bright prospects
for the students, and hone them as leaders of the future.“Why classrooms
instead of other facilities, such as health centers? Because we saw the need,
and even our U.S. counterparts, for a facility that would enhance education
among students,” he said in his speech at the turn-over ceremony Thursday.
Lieutenant Gen. John Bonafos, vice chief of staff of the
Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), who was the special guest, said the
Balikatan-constructed school building is among the strongest symbols of
cooperation and beyond bounds teamwork of the Filipino and U.S. soldiers, who
are committed to help in fostering education so, the world becomes a better,
peaceful place.
The newly constructed school with two classrooms are
additional to the current seven that the SLNHS has for 325 students from Grades
7-10.
School Principal Vilmalyn Esoy said it’s donation was timely
because the school is expanding next enrollment to Grades 11-12
The turn-over was also attended by Maj. Gen. Silvino
Alcabasa Jr, chief engineer of the AFP; Maj. Gen. Raul del Rosario, DCS for
Plans and Program, J5; Brig. Gen. Rodolfo Santiago, commandant of the AFPCGSC;
Commodore Manuel Natalio Abinuman of the Naval Forces West; Brig. Gen. Armando
Bañez, commanding general of the 3rd Marine Brigade; Commodore James Meyer of
the 30th Naval Construction Regiment; and LCDR Mark Jarrett of the Australian
Defense Force among others.
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