For the past decade, Bacolod’s Manuel M. Abello Masonic Lodge No. 260 and Bisayas Bodies Scottish Rite Masons have stood behind the students of Miguel S. Mondia Elementary School in Brgy. Yubo, Sitio Bais, La Carlota City, Negros Occidental.
Tucked just a few kilometers from the crater of Mt. Kanlaon, the school is officially recognized by the Department of Education as a “Last Mile” school – geographically isolated and severely underserved. Reaching it is no easy feat: some students trek for up to three hours on foot, often navigating thick fog, torrential rains and swollen rivers just to get to class.
After months of uncertainty following Mt. Kanlaon’s eruption, students and their families have finally returned home from evacuation centers – resuming life and learning in the shadow of the volcano.
Following torrential rains across Negros, the lodge recently faced a familiar challenge – how to deliver urgently needed school supplies to this remote site. The answer? Carabao power. Supplies were loaded onto sleds pulled by these steadfast beasts of burden. After an hour-long trek through muddy, slippery and steep pathways, they finally reached the school.
“We are delighted and honored to support these incredible students,” said said Worshipful Master Joaquin Jude G Ledesma. “Their resilience and dedication to education, despite daunting daily obstacles, deserve our utmost respect.”
Through this partnership with the Ancient & Accepted Scottish Rite Visayas Bodies and MW Don Ramas T. Uypitching, Past Grand Master, the lodge continues its mission: to open doors to brighter futures – not only for the students, but for the communities they will one day lead.
