Pandan Central School in Antique gets a new school building from BDO Foundation and US-Philippines Society

PANDAN, ANTIQUE – On March 25, BDO Foundation and US-Philippines Society jointly inaugurated a new four-classroom two-storey building and turned it over to school officials, teachers and students of Pandan Central School in Antique.  This school suffered major damage when typhoon Yolanda barreled the eastern Visayan seaboard. 

This initiative became possible due to the BDO Foundation and the US-Philippines Society to commit $150,000 to built classrooms in Antique areas affected by Typhoon Haiyan.

The partnership was formally forged in November 2014 with the signing of the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) by US-Philippines Society Executive Director Hank Hendrickson, BDO Foundation Trustee Corazon de la Paz-Bernardo, BDO Foundation president Maureen Abelardo, and BDO Foundation chairman Tessie Sy-Coson gracing the event at the BDO Corporate Center.

BDO Foundation and US-Philippines Society signing the MOA

Under the MOA, partners will equally co-fund the two-storey school building project in Northern Antique. The partnership took exception of this school not only because of its high standards of education  but also  because of  a special education (SPED) curriculum catering to children with special needs.  It is also home to one of the heritage Gabaldon School Buildings built by the Thomasites during the American colonial regime which was also partially damaged

The donated building is typhoon-resilient and is fully furnished with armchairs and teachers’ desk and chair sets (manufactured by persons with disability),blackboards and wall fans to ensure a complete, sound and healthy learning environment for the students.

Partners BDO Foundation & US-Philippine Society hope to normalize the lives of victims of the disaster with this schoolbuilding donation.