Duterte Gov’t Opens P7.7 Million Disaster-Resilient School Building In Sara, Iloilo

The P7.7-million, two-storey, six-classroom school building at Malapaya Elementary School in Barangay Malapaya, Sara town in Iloilo province opened on Friday, August 4.

Engr. George Suy, Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) 3rd Engineering District Engineer, said the school building is disaster-resilient and “is designed to withstand the likes of super typhoon ‘Yolanda’ and Bohol earthquake.”

Malapaya ELementary School principal Lucia Aguirre said the new building boosted the school facilities that were destroyed by Yolanda in 2013.

With the additional six classrooms, the school now has a total of 14 classrooms, with 460 students and 14 teachers.

Gina Oquendo, president of Federation of Parent-Teacher Association of Malapaya Elementary School, recalled how her two children and other pupils of Malapaya Elementary Schools had to study under the trees or inside tents provided by non-governmental organizations after “Yolanda.”

Apparently, she said more than six of the school’s classrooms were destroyed by the typhoon.

“They endured the heat and the rain to continue their schooling despite the disaster,” she said.

Thus, Oquendo looks at the school building as hope of the pupils. 

“The school building is the first step to the bright future of the pupils,” Oquendo said in Hiligaynon.

Malapaya is a farming village in Sara town, about 2.5 hours drive from Iloilo City.

Source: Philippine News Agency