Brigada Eskwela raises support in Tawi-Tawi

Brigada Eskwela raises support in Tawi-Tawi
by Danny Escabarte
PIA News Agency
May 31, 2010


Butuan City (31 May) -- Parents, teachers, soldiers and local government officials in far away Tawi-Tawi joined efforts to raise available local resources and make children's going to school hassle-free when classes open up in the second week of June 2010.

Armed with cleaning paraphernalia, carpentry tools and paintbrush, participants to the weeklong school clean up drive Brigada Eskwela; joined volunteer efforts in sprucing up school grounds, cleaning classrooms, repaired broken chairs, tables and windows, repainting walls and school façade in preparation for school opening.

The Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP) with funds from USAID EQuALLS2 Program bankrolled minor repairs by setting aside a PhP 5,000 peso worth of materials assistance for each of the 62 targeted public schools in the Province of Tawi-Tawi. PBSP has also received and mobilized resources and donations from member companies and partners such as educational magazines from Diwa Learning Systems, storytelling books from The Bookmark, Inc., and assorted books from Goodwill Bookstore, Adarna House and paints from Boysen.

Other donations are notebooks from Sterling Paper Products, pencils and paper from Manila Bankers Life Insurance and Jopa Enterprises, Inc., and Vienna sausages from CDO Foodsphere, Inc.

Provincial Vice Governor Ruby Sahali-Tan in her speech during the Brigada Eskwela kick-off activity, committed an initial PhP 50,000 cash as provincial counterpart plus transport and materials support for the success of Brigada Eskwela in Tawi-Tawi. " Brigada Eskwela is an avenue where we can work together for community development," she stressed.

Brigada Eskwela is a DepEd Program and nationwide volunteer effort spearheaded by the parents, teachers and community associations (PTCAs), in order to ease the burden of school children during opening of classes. Classroom shortage, lack of textbooks and chairs among others are the usual problems haunting school kids when classes open up in the month of June.

In the Province of Tawi-Tawi, Brigada Eskwela kicked off with a motorcade passing through the main streets of Bongao, the capital town, in order to raise awareness and support from community residents and local government officials.

Brigada Eskwela in Tawi-Tawi was participated in by various stakeholders. Among them were teachers from the Department of Education headed by Superintendent Kiram Iriles, Provincial Government led by Vice Governor Ruby Sahali-Tan, Bongao Municipal Government, D' ALERT Radio Group, Philippine Marines, Philippine Navy, Philippine Air Force, Philippine National Police, Tawi-Tawi Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Rotary Club, local media, personnel devt from MIT, Ayala Youth Group and members of the PTCAs in the province. (PBSP Mindanao/PIA-Caraga)