Petron builds 2nd school in Sarangani

GLAN, Sarangani (July 22, 2007) – Petron Foundation was set to build another three-classroom school in a coastal village here, bringing to five the growing number of schools in Region 12 from the oil corporation.

In 2005, Petron built its first three-classroom building in Mindanao in barangay Pangyan, Glan under its Adopt-A-School Program.

Gov. Migs Dominguez and local officials graced the groundbreaking ceremony of a three-classroom building donated by Petron in coastal barangay Kapatan, Glan Wednesday (July 18).

"This represents our commitment for the gift of education especially in places where it is needed most," Petron representative Johnny Evangelista said.

"We see the Petron schools as the lasting legacy for the youth."

This brings to five the Petron schools in Region 12, according to Evangelista. Two are in Sarangani while the other three schools were distributed in Datu Paglas and Sultan sa Barongis in Maguindanao; and in New Iloilo, Tantangan, South Cotabato.

Evangelista added more schools will be built by the company in Camp Abubakar, Tawi-Tawi, Datu Ampatuan, Lamitan, and Marawi City.

He said "we are happy doing this together with our partners," the Conrado Alcantara Foundation Inc., Philippine Business for Social Progress, Department of Education, Gawad Kalinga, Habitat for Humanity, and the local government units.

"Petron schools came as a result of the disturbing fact that 4,000 barangays in the Philippines have no schools within their community," Evangelista disclosed.

"While the government has been very earnest with all its effort to close the gap, (it) saw the need of other sectors like us," Evangelista said.

"Ang tinintingnan ng ating mga benefactors gaya ng Petron ay ang community," Governor Migs Dominguez told Pangyan residents.

Dominguez said parents and teachers must be active in seeking for assistance from the benefactors.

"What we expect from you is your community involvement by supporting your children," the governor said.

In the country, Petron's Tulong Aral Program enables 1,000 pupils to go to school every year. It also provides reading program for the school's curriculum and trainings of teachers.

"We all planned for this. Now we are given the opportunity to make it happen," school principal Dulcesimo Alfafara said. (SARANGANI INFORMATION OFFICE/RGP)