Security Bank Foundation, Inc. (SBFI) helped Surigao West Central Elementary School in Surigao City bounce back from the devastating impact of Super Typhoon Odette in 2021 by donating a two-story, six-classroom building.  

Prior to the construction of the school building, SBFI donated 580 galvanized iron roofing sheets to the same school to replace the roofing of classrooms toppled by Super Typhoon Odette’s strong winds. 

The new SBFI school building is disaster-resilient, strategically elevated one meter from the ground to safeguard the classrooms against flooding. Rigorous soil testing also preceded construction to ensure a strong foundation. The building also features steel beams and columns to ensure strength against earthquakes.  

SBFI’s commitment to sustaining the structural integrity of the school building extends with the annual monitoring and major repair at least every five years or when a disaster strikes to ensure usability for at least 25 years. 

“We are very grateful for SBFI’s commitment to education and community development. Their initiative is a great reminder that when the private sector and public institutions join hands for a noble cause, the impact is immeasurable,” said Dr. Arlene Boquillon, Principal of the Surigao West Central School.  

Present in the turnover ceremony of the school building were representatives from the Local Government Unit and the Department of Education Division of Surigao City. The two collaborated with SBFI in the construction of the classrooms by supplying classroom chairs and tables, building permits, and shouldering the demolition of the old structures in the building’s site. 

“The classrooms that SBFI have donated will serve as a catalyst to open the door for unlimited opportunities for generations of students to succeed,” said Hon. Pablo Yves Dumlao II, Mayor of Surigao City. 

“The investment SBFI has made not only manifests their desire to make education a priority, but has given our school children the opportunity to learn at a more convenient and conducive to learning classrooms especially after the onslaught of Typhoon Odette,” said Surigao West Central Elementary English Teacher Girlie Trugillo, who is a participant of SBFI’s 3-year training program entitled “Mentoring Future Leaders for Nation-Building”.  

Trugillo is trained in crafting model lesson plans for both advanced and struggling learners, creation of effective assessments, and stakeholder engagement to support learning improvement.   

With the donation to Surigao City, Surigao del Norte, SBFI has donated a total of 747 classrooms across 132 schools in 76 cities and municipalities nationwide.  

“We’re proud to be considered by DepEd as one of the biggest donors for the Adopt-a-School Program. Still, we acknowledge that government funding is not sufficient to address the shortage of classrooms nationwide, which is why we shall continue our commitment to improving the quality of education as long as Security Bank does well,” said SBFI Chairman Rafael F. Simpao, Jr.   

To learn more about Security Bank Foundation’s projects and how you can contribute, visit www.securitybank.com/foundation.