Coca-Cola Philippines, PBSP turn over first disaster-resilient school building
Coca-Cola Foundation Philippines, Inc. (CCFPI), in collaboration with Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP) and Department of Education (DepEd), recently turned over a two-storey, six-classroom school building to school officials of the Yolanda-torn Marasbaras Elementary School (ES) in Tacloban, Leyte to help bring back a better and more conducive learning environment to its schoolchildren.
Leading the turnover ceremony were Coca-Cola Philippines vice president for Public Affairs and Communications Atty. Adel Tamano and CCFPI president Ma. Cecilia Alcantara with DepEd Undersecretary Mario Deriquito, Tacloban City Mayor Alfred Romualdez, and PBSP Program Management Office Director for Education Marylin Muncada.
During the event, Mayor Romualdez said that he will be pushing the local government to adopt the model of the building for the city’s future building projects.
“This is the first structure that I’ve seen that is not only functional but also cost-effective,” Mayor Romualdez added.
The new building is the first disaster-resilient school building CCFPI has built in the country. Its other features include a roofdeck for possible evacuation, ramps for better access to persons with disabilities, and wider doors and windows in every room.
The Little Red Schoolhouse (LRS) project has been the flagship education program of Coca-Cola Foundation Philippines since 1997. It also supports PBSP’s flagship project in its program on Education which is on classroom construction. “This Little Red Schoolhouse in Marasbaras Elementary School is very special because it was funded by donations of Coca-Cola employees and business partners from all over the world,” shared Atty. Tamano.