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BDO Foundation, the corporate social responsibility arm of BDO Unibank, has constructed two school buildings in San Jose Central School in Tacloban City, Leyte in partnership with private philanthropists from the University of Santo Tomas Medicine Class ‘79 and Soroptimist International Makati.

The new two-storey, eight-classroom buildings were turned over on February 17 in an event attended by BDO Foundation program director Rose Espinosa, BDO Tacloban-Rizal Avenue branch head Lucille Yao, donors, local government officials and Department of Education heads.

At the event, the donors also distributed food and toys to the pupils.

The school building project is in keeping with BDO Foundation’s disaster response advocacy and rehabilitation program in areas affected by Typhoon Yolanda.

Like many structures in Tacloban, the buildings of San Jose Central School were destroyed by the supertyphoon. About 90 percent of its 98 classrooms have been damaged, and more than 120 students reportedly perished due to Yolanda’s storm surge.

The structures built by BDO Foundation and its partners replace the ones completely destroyed by the disaster.

Through the donation of the school buildings, the partners aim to give underprivileged youth greater access to education and help rebuild the lives of their families. The new classrooms are furnished with teachers’ desks, school chairs, blackboards and fans.

The new buildings could also serve as evacuation centers should calamities hit the area.

San Jose Central School is situated on a 2.2-hectare property with an athletic oval that serves as venue for interschool athletic competitions in Eastern Visayas. The academic institution accommodates approximately 4,000 students.

(Released March 3, 2017)