Project Site Visit: Guinhalaran Integrated Secondary School, Silay City, August 4th, 2017

Remember when I posted a request on our Viber “Fellowship” feed from the Silay City schoolteacher mother of one of our Little Hearts patients? She was about to start the school year with a classroom with no furniture, and the students were going to have to sit on the floor. When the teacher, Kristabel Alpire, asked me, I told her to go looking for options to solve the problem, and advise me of the costs. Being shy to ask for any more than the minimum, she found stools and sent pictures. She also costed lumber and labor costs for the maintenance crew and parents to work after school to make some tables. Then I posted the request on our Viber “Fellowship” feed.

PP Romy Nones immediately called up PP Alvin Lacambacal and asked about it. Within forty-five minutes, they said, “Yes, they would support the request.” I contacted the teacher and sent the requested money by Cebuana, adding a little extra for unanticipated expenses. Romy and Alvin reimbursed me the amount the teacher requested at our next meeting.

I shared pictures of the classroom with stools in a short PowerPoint show at one of our meetings. A few of our members thought that stools were insufficient for the needs, and that the classroom should have proper chairs and tables. Again, I asked the teacher to shop and advise me of her findings. She found chairs for about P700 each and got a bid to construct the five needed sturdier tables for about P2,200 each, or P11,000. A proper teacher’s desk and chair with wheels was about P5000. PP Benny Laguesma gave me P5000 on the spot. Again, our most generous PD Jun Hallare donated the requested P51,150, and I added a small amount for transaction costs and flexibility.

Since I was going to Bacolod to bring together the three heart surgery patients one year out to celebrate their recoveries, I decided to go the extra hour to Silay to see the classroom, meet the teacher and students and take pictures for you. In the first picture, you will see how they welcomed me at the entrance to the school. In every classroom that I visited, the students all stood and recited, “Good afternoon, Dr. Lance. Welcome and thank you!”

In the second picture, you will see how they used the new chairs in Mrs. Alpire’s classroom. Three of the classes that meet there wrote thank you cards, including the one in these pictures. In the last picture, you will see me with the school principal, standing in front of the new school building, which they were supposed to move into before the start of school. Sadly, the building has not yet been turned over, due to leaks, incomplete construction and so forth. The rooms are nicer and larger than the old school, and each has its own c.r. They do not know when it might really be available. I have referred them to the local Rotary Clubs for assistance in furnishing the remaining classroom.

They are all very grateful for our support. Even the stools that we bought earlier are being used in most classroom to replace broken and unusable old desks. They are very happy that our gifts, along with their hard work for Brigada Eskewla helped them win the regional competition