NEW BUILDING. AboitizPower subsidiary Therma Visayas Inc. built a two-storey school building that benefits about 2,000 students in Bato Elementary School in Toledo City. (CONTRIBUTED PHOTO)
The almost 2,000 students of Bato Elementary School in Toledo City welcomed the donation of a new two-storey building donated by AboitizPower subsidiary Therma Visayas Inc. and Aboitiz Foundation Inc.
During the turnover of the two-classroom building last June 30, Toledo City Schools Division Superintendent Dr. Joseph Irwin Lagura and Bato Elementary School principal Juanita Taran thanked TVI and AFI for their continued support to the Department of Education (DepEd).
TVI officials, led by project director Grant Smith, handed over a symbolic key of the school building to the DepEd officials, PTCA president Celso Dagala and two selected Grade six pupils.
Taran said the school building, which houses a computer laboratory, a library and a classroom, is a “great blessing” to the school and the host community since they have many classrooms that are already listed for demolition.
She said that the donation addresses the classroom shortage problem of the school.
In line with its corporate social responsibility program for its host community, TVI also donated 14 computers and sponsored a computer literacy training for teachers of Bato Elementary School.
TVI also donated a projector, projector screen, a printer, computer tables and chairs.
“My dream in the previous school years was to have a general computer laboratory, as well as making sure that the computer teachers in the school will have real computers to operate during computer classes and it was made into reality by Therma Visayas,” said Taran.
“This donation goes a long way in fulfilling our needs and in helping improve the academic achievement for our students,” Taran said.
Bato Elementary School did not have computers for students. During computer classes, teachers used Manila paper and cut-outs to demonstrate the uses of a computer.
Earlier, Therma Visayas donated thin client computer system to Bato National High School and Awihao National High School.
Barangays Bato and Awihao are host communities of TVI’s 340-MW baseload power plant, which is expected to enter commercial operations in early 2018.