SM Foundation turns over a new school building in Tuba, Benguet

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Students and teachers of Tuba Central School received the symbolic key for the newly constructed two-story, four-classroom school building donated by SM Prime and Philippine Stock Exchange Foundation, through SM Foundation.

Students of Tuba Central School (TCS) in Benguet now have more learning space conducive to learning as SM Foundation turned over a new two-story, four-classroom school building last August 9, 2019.

The school building comes with 200 armchairs (20 of which are for left-handed students); 16 wall fans, eight blackboards, four teacher’s desk sets, four wall clocks, and four toilets inside the rooms. It also boasts a ramp and a toilet on the ground floor accessible by persons with disabilities (PWDs).

Acknowledging the great minds and talents of PWDs, SM Foundation tapped the members of the Foundation of These-Abled Persons to make the teacher’s desk sets and student armchairs. Through this strategy, SM Foundation is enabling PWDs to be economically self-sufficient and at the same time, highlighting their valuable contribution in nation-building.

And in line with their advocacy on Disaster Resiliency, the donated school building has emergency staircases with emergency lights on strategic parts of the school and a fire alarm system to ensure the safety of students and personnel in times of calamities and disasters.

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Representatives from SM, PSEF, and DepEd during the ceremonial turnover of school building to Tuba Central School in Benguet.

This School Year, the 84-year old Tuba Central School has almost 600 pupils, accommodating 25-53 students per classroom. This addition in their current number of school buildings – 4 school buildings – will address TCS’s problem in in relation to the increasing number of enrollees each year. Thus, making the school’s student-classroom ratio more ideal which will help improve the learning experience of the students.

“It is a great privilege to be one of the recipients of the new fully furnished two-story, four-classroom school building. Indeed, it’s a blessing to Tuba Central School for it will address the problem on classrooms due to the increasing population of learners,” said Lucilla Abance, the school principal of TCS.

“This school building will serve as an avenue for the learners to be developed holistically in order to compete globally. As principal and steward of this institution, I assure you that we will do our part by using the facility properly and make it conducive for learning,” Abance added.

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The newly built two-story, four classroom school building of Tuba Central School in Benguet is emergency-ready and accessible by PWDs.

SM has been an active partner of Department of Education’s (DepEd) Adopt-A-School Program since 2002.This 94th school building donation by the Foundation was made possible through the partnership of SM Prime and the Philippine Stock Exchange Foundation (PSEF). This marked the second social good collaboration between SM Prime and PSEF as the first was in 2015, the school building donation to Tacloban City National High School.

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PSEF Chief Operating Officer Roel Refran and SM Foundation Executive Director Debbie Sy visited a class in the newly turned over Tuba Central School building.

Present during the event were representatives from the local government unit, led by Tuba Mayor Clarita Sal-ongan; DepEd, led by Assistant Schools Division Superintendent Nestor Bolayo; SM City Baguio Mall Manager Rona Vida Correa; PSEF, led by Chief Operating Officer Roel Refran; and SM Foundation, represented by Executive Director Debbie Sy, Trustee Ramon Gil Macapagal and Executive Director for Education Program Linda Atayde.

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A classroom in the turned over school building is well-ventilated and spacious enough to allow the students to have a better learning experience.