Mayor John Dalipe expresses profound gratitude to SM Foundation for choosing Zamboanga City as a beneficiary of its school building program, citing its significance as “an investment in the dreams of the city’s children.”
Mayor Dalipe, represented by Basilio Uy of the Division of City Schools said this, as the SM Foundation formally turned over the newly-constructed two-storey, four-classroom school building at Sta. Barbara Central School Wednesday morning, December 18.
“This beautiful edifice is more than just a structure, it is a symbol of hope, opportunity, and progress for Barangay Sta. Barbara, and for the surrounding communities. With this building, we have planted seeds of knowledge that will flourish for generations to come,” the mayor said in his message read by Uy.
The project was the 109th school building sponsored and donated by SM Foundation nationwide, reinforcing the organization’s commitment to education. It was designed to provide a conducive learning environment for students. Each of the four classrooms is fully equipped with chairs, electric fans, toilets, and washbasins.
The building also includes a ground-floor toilet specifically designed for persons with disabilities (PWD) featuring handrails, a clinic, a mini-library, a room for arts and music, and a handwashing facility accommodating up to 10 individuals at a time.
Present during the turnover ceremony were SM Foundation Executive Director for Education Carmen Linda Atayde, SM Mindpro Mall Manager Aileen Ann Enriquez, SM Mindpro OIC and Asst. Mall Manager Jodie Durens, Sta. Barbara Central Elementary School Principal III Annaliza Martin, Sta. Barbara Central School Parents-Teachers Association President Nidznalyn Kasim, and various others.
(Source: City Government of Zamboanga Facebook page with reports from Bernadeth Lazaro)