The province of Ilocos Sur became the newest recipient of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp.’s school building project.
Pagcor, together with the Department of Education and Department of Public Works and Highways, turned over a two-story, six-classroom building to Ilocos Sur National High School in Vigan City, and a one-story, five-classroom building to Banaoang Community School in the municipality of Santa.
The two buildings will benefit more than 6,000 students from both schools.
Built in 1902, ISNHS is one of the country’s oldest learning institutions and is the most densely-populated public school in the province with a current enrollment of 6,000.
Despite its huge population, Ilocos Sur National High has only 100 functional classrooms.
“With this new school building we will have adequate rooms for our students. Likewise, we will have additional spaces where they can enhance their skills as we plan to make this new facility a computer center,” said ISNHS principal Romulo Quitevis.
BanCS head Salvador Lazo Jr. was also extremely grateful to the state-owned gaming firm for giving them more than what they requested.
“We only asked Pagcor for funds to buy and install new floor tiles in some classrooms, but we got this beautiful five-classroom building that will help build the dreams of our students,” Lazo said.
With a school population of only 248, BanCS has enough classrooms for its enrollees. But most of their classrooms are cramped.
Ten-year-old Adriane Chris Ancheta, a Grade Five student from Barangay Banaoag, is one of the lucky students in BanCS who will soon use the new Pagcor-sponsored classrooms.
Having studied at BanCS since Grade 1, Adriane has gotten used to study in congested spaces. But when he learned that Pagcor donated new and modern classrooms, he was overly excited.
“We used to sit shoulder to shoulder because our classrooms were small, and we’d bump into each other whenever we stand or walk around. Now it won’t happen again,” he said.
With the new classrooms, Adriane looks forward to go to school each day. He is now more inspired to fulfill his deceased father’s dream for him to become a civil engineer someday.
During the formal turnover of the two school buildings, Pagcor Assistant Vice President for Community Relations and Services Arnell Ignacio proudly shared that to date, the agency has already built close to 4,000 classrooms in more than 700 sites nationwide.
“We feel and share in your joy, not just for giving relief to your concerns through the help we are extending through these classrooms,” Ignacio said. “When before, we were used to seeing children study under trees, now we have more than enough classrooms for them to study in comfortably.”