Transportation manufacturer Bombardier partnered with Habitat for Humanity in building school buildings in three areas in northern Cebu hit by supertyphoon Yolanda.
One school building with two classrooms will each be built in Tapilon Elementary School in Daanbantayan, Kawit Elementary School in Medellin and San Remigio National High School.
An agreement was signed this morning at the Marco Polo Hotel. David Douzenel, Bombardier’s head of Finance Shared Services Organization, said they raised US$ 125,000 from employee and company donations in the aftermath of typhoon Yolanda (international name Haiyan).
“Half of the amount which is US$62,000 were donated by Bombardiers employees from all over the world. The management then matched the amount raising it to US$ 125,000,” Douzenel said.
Habitat for Humanity will facilitate the construction of the school buildings which is targeted for completion before the opening of classes in June.
Habitat for Humanity-Cebu Chief Operations Officer Leonilo Escalada said the groundbreaking is expected within the next two weeks. He said the buildings will be more resilient to typhoons.
“With our new design, the buildings have increased reinforcement bars and roofing structures and support. The rest will more or less be the same,” Escalada said.
For their part, the principals of the three schools were grateful for the project. “This contribution will enrich and rebuild local communities and is welcomed and appreciated by the pupils and their families,” Kawit Elementary School principal Evelyn Pantaleon said.
Three of their school buildings housing 12 classrooms each collapsed in the wake of Yolanda’s wrath.
In Tapilon Elementary School, located five kilometers away from Daanbantayan town proper, all 17 classrooms were damaged, school principal Rosario Dublin said.
In San Remigio National High School, five classrooms and their school covered court collapsed.