Soulprints - Amyline Quien Ching

Bridge Towards Tomorrow

Fly.

An old runway looked on as the dreams of Filipino children took off towards a brighter tomorrow— a bright red tomorrow that is.

In an effort to provide the wings that would carry Filipino children to greater heights, three industry giants gathered in the Filipinas Heritage Library, a landing strip during the pre-Makati years, to pledge their support for “Tulay Talino” (Bridge of Knowledge), a fundraising campaign for Coca-Cola Foundation Philippines Inc.’s flagship program, “Little Red Schoolhouse Project.” According to CCFPI president and executive director Cecile Alcantara, the project seeks to address the lack of quality education in the rural areas. “It is inarguably the great equalizer. It empowers the poor to break free from poverty, giving them a sense of hope,” Coca-Cola Export Corporation Division Marketing Director Edwin Domingo says.

Kicking off with the Coca-Cola Golf Classic last May, Tulay Talino aims to explore all the avenues available to reach a wider audience. “We are employing a 360 degrees approach to marketing,” Domingo shares. This involves the banking sector, the telecommunications sector and the broadcast media. GMA-7 Marketing and Promotions Inc., has pledged free television plugs amounting to P12.5 million. “It’s a good project. Education is very important. If we don’t develop their minds through education, we are denying these children the opportunity to make something of themselves… make something of their lives,” expresses president and COO Manuel Quiogue. Through Globe Telecom’s myGlobe service, texters can donate a portion of their text cost to Tulay Talino. Starting October 5, simply texting FANZONE to Globe 2978 enables one to donate to the project, aside from getting a chance to win P10,000 cash in a daily raffle. Standard Chartered Bank, on the other hand, will mail flyers encouraging donations with their billings. The bank will also accept donations through credit cards.


Paint the Town Red

Since its launch last June 1997, the “Little Red Schoolhouse Project,” a joint project with the Department of Education and the Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP), has constructed 50 three-classroom elementary school buildings in rural areas. “We originally planned to construct two schools every year but the foundation dared to dream big. We aimed for 50 schools in five years and we did it,” reveals Alcantara. These classrooms accommodate an average of 40 students, each housing two grade-levels. “All Little Red Schoolhouses are built to facilitate the multi-grade method of teaching,” she continues. For those who are shaking their heads in apparent confusion, multi-grade method involves teaching two or more grade levels simultaneously in one classroom. Though it might not be seem viable at first, this is actually endorsed by the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), this is the most cost-effective way of providing elementary education as many children as possible. With a commitment to not only provide a school structure but also give quality education, the project also spearheaded a series of workshops in multi-grade teaching. Benefiting over 321 teachers during the past years, these seminars are designed by the Department of Education to address the shortage in both public school teachers and classrooms. Training interventions are also given to Parents, Teachers and Community Associations (PTCA) to help them manage, optimize and maintain the school building. Topics such as personal effectiveness and team building, strategic planning, and leadership skills are some of the topics being discussed. All these fuss have not been for naught as several teachers have been recognized for their outstanding multi-grade teaching skills.

To date, over 9,000 school children have benefited from this project. Parents noticed a renewal of interest in schoolwork from their children. “Traveling more than five kilometers everyday can drain away all our enthusiasm. With the construction of the red schoolhouses, they have begun to like going to school. They are now enjoying it,” another resident of Pao Pao divulges. Proof of that is the number of students earning academic and sports achievement awards. Not only that, but it has also managed to mobilize surrounding communities. “The bayanihan spirit has come alive with this project. Parents now help in cleaning schools and in raising funds for school activities,” mentions one resident of Pao Pao, where one schoolhouse was constructed. To help sustain the day-to-day operations of the school as well as finance improvements, some also engage in poultry raising, vegetable farming and even hog dispersal programs. Local governments have also done their share by improving roads and installing water and electrical connections in the vicinity.

The foundation has spent a total of P94 million since the project’s conception. “For each classroom constructed, about P1.4 million is spent,” mentions Alcantara. This includes all the facilities such as school chairs, study tables, blackboards, toilets and a water system. The first one to be constructed was in Islaon, Agusan Del Sur back in 1997.

The start of a Dream

The name “Little Red Schoolhouse Project” does not only signify Coca-Cola’s corporate color— red. The name is actually derived from Laura Ingalls Wilder’s novel, Little House on the Prairie. “Schools in that story were called little red schoolhouses. These barns were painted red so that people would notice them immediately,” Alcantara relates.
The idea for such a project actually sprouted from a visit in Masbate seven years ago. “We were invited by UNICEF to take a look at what they are doing in the rural communities. When we went there, we saw really old buildings and run-down classrooms,” recalls Alcantara. Upon meeting the students, they noticed that the children still had difficulty reading. “These scenes remained vivid in my mind even when I reached Manila.” The foundation, at that time, is actually looking for a project that would manifest the foundation’s commitment to help the public education sector. “It was like an epiphany,” she exclaims. It did not take long for them to zoom in on their final decision— adopt a public multi-grade level. It was a decision that they have never regretted. “With education, you go down to the basics. It is what forms the person, what empowers him. If in that first four grades, he is able to learn how to read, write and do arithmetic well, ok na siya,” she explains. Education, as Domingo mentions, uplifts the spirit. It allows us to dream impossible dreams and maybe… just maybe… make them realities.

posted by Amyline Quien Ching @ 11:18 PM