On July 13, Keimyung University in Korea endorsed a newly-constructed classroom that they had built for Malabo Elementary School in Valencia, Negros Oriental.
Bearing witness to the ceremony were the students and teachers of Malabo Elementary, representatives from the Department of Education Negros Oriental Division, representatives of the local government of Valencia led by Mayor Edgar Y. Teves Sr., representatives of Dumaguete Kalikasan Education Center Inc. led by Executive Director Dr. Hee-Q Yang, the barangay officials of Malabo headed by Barangay Capt. Alexander Y. Rubio, and a 40-member delegation of Keimyung Caritas Global Volunteers, consisting of students, professors, and staff of Keimyung University in Korea.
The project was made possible through the collaborative work of Keimyung Caritas Volunteers, Kalisakan Education Center, DepEd Negros Oriental, the local government of Valencia, and the barangay of Malabo.
The construction and turnover of the newly-built classroom is the first act among the planned assistance that the team of volunteers from Keimyung University will be giving to select schools in the Philippines.
The Keimyung University-based Keimyoung Caritas Global Volunteers-Korea consists of three teams that have been working in different parts of the world for several years now.
In the countries they visit, the group chooses schools that need the most assistance in providing quality education to students.
These three groups consist of student volunteers of Keimyoung University who give their resources, e.g., time, labor, and money, to help the schools in need.
Some years ago, Korean philosopher Dr. Hee-Q Yang Dumaguete Kalikasan, an alumnus of Keimyoung University, visited Malabo Elementary School in Valencia with the intention of offering assistance to improve the school.
Upon inquiring from the teachers, he learned that the primary need there was additional classrooms.
Previously, Malabo Elementary School could not offer classes for 5th and 6th grades due to lack of classrooms. The best option for children residing in Malabo who were determined to graduate from elementary level was to attend school in another village.
To reach the school in the next barangay, the children had to wake up at dawn, have a quick breakfast, and walk downhill at least a couple of hours through fog or under relentless rain, every day of the school year just to make it in time for classes.
When classes were done, there was the uphill hike back to their homes at the end of the day.
Often, the pupils would reach their homes after dusk. They then only had little time left for a quick dinner, and to finish their homework before falling asleep from sheer exhaustion.
Only those determined to graduate were undeterred by the daily physical challenges they had to face.
Dr. Yang gave his commitment to help Malabo Elementary School, making it one of the partner schools of Dumaguete Kalikasan.
Dr. Yang visited Malabo Elementary School again a year ago, and saw that the school still did not have the needed classroom. He thought of how to find the money to begin construction of the classroom.
In November 2014, Dr. Yang was invited as guest speaker for the graduation ceremony of Keimyung University. In his speech there, Dr. Yang mentioned Dumaguete Kalikasan Education Center, a sister school of the Gandhi Schools of Korea (founded by Dr. Yang as one of the earliest schools in Korea to offer an alternative form of education), as well as the Malabo Elementary School as an example of the general situation of most schools in far-flung villages in the Philippines.
After his speech, members of the volunteer team met with Dr. Yang, expressing interest in giving assistance to Malabo.
A fourth group of the Keimyung Caritas Global Volunteers was formed. The group was to be sent exclusively to the Philippines.
More uniquely, this group of volunteers did not consist only of students but also included university professors (between 30 to over 60 years old) and members of the university staff.
The volunteers donated $9,000.00 (about P387,000.00) for the construction of one classroom at Malabo Elementary School.
The team pledged to come to the Philippines to help build the classroom with their own hands.
Representatives of both the public and private sectors worked hand in hand to bring the project to the country.
Dumaguete Kalikasan coordinated the project through its student interns and teachers, namely, Jhoewelyn David and Aaron James Jalalon. The interns and teachers were the bridge of communication between Malabo Elementary School and Keimyung University.
Further, Malabo Elementary School, the DepEd, Barangay Malabo, and the local government of Valencia provided support that made it possible to complete the project right on schedule.
“If all goes well according to plan, the Keimyung Caritas Volunteers are committed to visit the Philippines annually to provide assistance to schools that have similar needs as Malabo Elementary School,” Dr. Yang said. He added that the team will first concentrate on schools in Negros Oriental.
As for Barangay Malabo, the completion of the classroom now makes it possible for the children of the village to attend 5th and 6th grades in their own school.
It raises the children’s chances to pursue higher levels of education. (Michal Feyoh Quiocho/Dumaguete Kalikasan Education Center)
