More classrooms help make education more accessible

Early morning on March 24, 2015, students of Pasong Kawayan II Elementary School in General Trias, Cavite crowded eagerly in front of the newest addition to their campus—a fully-furnished, 2-storey, 4-classroom school building donated by project partners SM Foundation and SM Development Corporation (SMDC).

Pasong Kawayan II Elementary School receive new school building from SM Group
(In photo): Excited students line up waiting for their turn to enter their new classrooms

As they entered their new classrooms, students look in awe at the new chairs and the colorful artworks painted on the walls. Two days before the building turnover, SMDC employees volunteered to paint murals on the walls of the classroom with messages to inspire the children to achieve and work hard in their studies.

Grade 2 student Shan Sisiban happily said that she was very excited to start classes in their new classrooms. “Ang sarap mag-aral kasi ang ganda ng room namin. Meron pang CR! (I feel excited to learn because our room looks beautiful! There’s even a CR!)” Sisiban said.

Aside from each of the four classrooms having its own toilet, the new building comes equipped with 200 students’ armchairs, 16 wall fans, eight blackboards and four sets of teachers’ desk and tables.

Pasong Kawayan II is one of the 33 barangays that make up the municipality of General Trias, Cavite. As of the 2010 census, General Trias is home to 243,322 residents with Pasong Kawayan making up the third most populated area in the locality with a population of 17,135.

Serving the needs of the barangay and other nearby communities, the Pasong Kawayan II Elementary School records a total of 673 enrollees for school year 2014-2015. With a history of 85 years, the school caters to the education of the children in the area on a single-shift basis with its 15 instructional classrooms.

Jose Mari Banzon, SMDC Executive Vice President said, “It has always been the vision of the SM Group to make a difference in the lives of its host communities. We wish to see more achievers.”

The construction of the new school building is a continuing testament to SM Foundation’s goal of bringing education to more students, especially to those living in densely populated areas such as that of Pasong Kawayan.

The new building is SM Foundation’s second building constructed for Pasong Kawayan II Elementary School. In 2012, SM Foundation also donated a 1-story, 2-classroom building to the school and another one to the nearby Manggahan Elementary School.

Pasong Kawayan II Elementary School is SM Foundation’s 4th project with SMDC and its 68th school building donated to date.