New building ends era of undersized classrooms in Calapan school
Once crowded in dim rooms or on gym floors during outages, Grades 5 and 6 students now learn in a bright, spacious classroom built through the SM Foundation, SM Prime, and DepEd’s Adopt-A-School Program.
On hot days, when the power goes out, classes spill into the open gym. Children unroll doormats on the cement floor, balancing notebooks on their laps as they follow their teachers’ lessons. But when the rain falls during a power outage, they retreat to their dim, crowded classrooms—six by seven meters in size, air heavy with heat, and space too narrow for group work.
For far too long, this has been the scene at Bayanan II Elementary School, a campus at the heart of Calapan City, Oriental Mindoro.
Rosalie Perdaza, a master teacher who has spent over two decades of her career in the school, shares: “Hindi po angkop ang classroom size at hindi po namin ma-attain ang conducive learning environment. Mainit po, lalo na kapag walang kuryente.”
“Dahil sa limitations, hindi ma-exercise fully ng mga bata ang kanilang skills,” she said. Activities that promote collaboration, such as role-plays and group presentations, had to be scaled back.
“I feel disappointed and dissatisfied,” she admitted, her voice breaking. “Kaming mga teachers, gabi o days pa lang, naka-prepare na ang aming itututuro. Dahil sa mga limitasyon, nawawala lahat iyon.”
When power outages occur, the open gym becomes the only option, even as students sit on the gym’s concrete floors.
Teacher Rosalie worries if her students truly understand the lessons: “‘Naintindihan kaya nila? Natuto kaya sila?’ Dahil kailangan namin mag-adjust using simpler instructions and minimized materials.”
The challenges run deeper than small classrooms. The school caters to over 300 students, including a Special Needs Education (SNED) class, but lacks a dedicated SNED room.
At 53, she thought she had seen it all—until a new school building gave her renewed hope.
“28 years na po ako sa pagtuturo. At the age of 53, ngayon lang po ako makakapag-turo sa magandang classroom,” she said.
Built through collaboration
For the Bayanan II community, the new school building shows how collaboration can transform education. Supported by SM Foundation and SM Prime through DepEd’s Adopt-A-School Program, it fulfills their long-awaited need for conducive learning spaces.
Forging partnerships has long been a challenge for DepEd Calapan, according to Mark Lester Casapao, Senior Education Program Specialist for Social Mobilization and Networking: “With few major industries in the area, it’s hard to attract big corporate partners.”
“Ang mga school buildings po ay napagdaanan na ng panahon,” Casapao described Bayanan II Elementary School’s classrooms. “Hindi rin po basta-basta ang pag-giba ng mga lumang gusali sapagkat kailangan po nating siguruhin na mayroon pong magiging kapalit ang mga ito.”
“Napaka halaga po ng mga partnerships dahil ang collaboration po na iyon ang pupuno sa anumang kailangan punan. Lalo na po sa edukasyon, marami po tayong competing priorities,” Casapao said. “Kung wala po ang partnerships, kagaya ng mga nabubuo through Adopt-A-School program, ang support ng Parent-Teacher Association, barangay, at ng buong community, kulang na kulang po talaga.”
Principal Adeline Francisco and Senior Education Program Specialist for Social Mobilization and Networking for DepEd Division of Capalan Mark Lester Casapao inspect the new classrooms.
A space for thriving
The new building now serves as home to Grades 5 and 6 students, while one of their old rooms will be converted into a classroom for SNED learners.
Principal Adeline Francisco shared that the new school building was designed with close attention to the needs of its users. She noted that the barrier on the second floor was built high enough to ensure the safety of Grade 5 and Grade 6 students, along with protective grills installed along the stairways.
The building features a clinic, faculty and prayer rooms, and storage. A handwashing station with ten faucets and an overhead water tank stands nearby, along with safety installations such as emergency lighting on staircases, a fire alarm system, and PWD-accessible facilities, including a wheelchair ramp and restroom.
Each classroom, sized seven-by-nine meters, is equipped with panoramic whiteboards, wall fans, and wood-steel armchairs, including seats for left-handed students. Every room also has its own flush toilet and wash basin.
The expanded learning space supports collaborative activities that nurture creativity, including role-playing exercises.
For Teacher Rosalie, the wider classrooms open doors to exploring and creating new teaching methods and end to coping with long-familiar struggles. With room to move, she can build her dream reading corner and revive activities that spark collaboration and joy in learning.
Casapao noted that collaborations like this enhance their focus on sustaining support for schools across Calapan.
“Patuloy po ang magiging suporta ng DepEd matapos ang turnover ng school building. Nandito po kami at ang amin pong division engineers—tumutulong po para imonitor ang school noon pong ito ay tinatayo pa lamang at hanggang sa pagiingat po sa school building.”
As both alumna and longtime teacher, Rosalie hopes the new SM building gives students the same pride and sense of belonging that have kept her rooted at Bayanan II.
With the new school building, Teacher Rosalie no longer has to wrestle with recurring classroom problems. She can now focus on innovating her lessons and creating a more engaging learning experience for her students.
