Classroom built through Bayanihan

By Bong Garcia, The Philippine Sun Star

Through the Bayanihan spirit, Philippine Marines, US soldiers, parents and teachers have constructed a one-room classroom building in a town in Sulu, south of Zamboanga City.

The classroom building, which aims to provide a conducive learning environment to school children, was funded by the American government through the Task Force Sulu under the US Joint Special Operation Task Force-Philippines (JSOTF-P).

It was built for the Maharadja Abduraup Elementary School in the village of Buansa, Indanan where there are at least 400 enrollees for the school year 2010-2011.

The labor work, which is free of charge, was provided by the Filipino and US troops as well as the parents of students and the teachers of the school.

The classroom was turned over to the Maharadja Abduraup Elementary School principal last Thursday in time for the opening of classes, said Lieutenant Colonel Robert Velasco, commander of the Marine Battalion Landing Team-6 (MBLT-6) on Tuesday.

Velasco said the one-classroom building is “our way of showing to the people of Sulu that we are concern on their children’s education.”

The school’s principal, Garcia Paradji, on behalf of the teachers, parents and pupils, has expressed gratitude to the U.S. forces and MBLT-6 troops for their untiring support to the school.

Earlier, the U.S. and Filipino troops have repaired two classrooms in the same school in time for the opening of classes for school year 2010-2011.

Paradji said the newly-constructed one-classroom building will be used by the Grade 3 pupils.

http://www.sunstar.com.ph/zamboanga/classroom-built-through-bayanihan