Olongapo joined Green Wave and Brigada Eskwela 2009

ICT Rise-Up Club of the Olongapo City National High School joined the "world green wave campaign" yesterday by cleaning the area and watering plans inside the school campus followed by a tree planting activity at the Olongapo lighthouse (parola) area in Barangay Kalaklan, this city.

The Green Wave is a multi-year global campaign that enables children and youth to make a difference – one school, one tree, one step at a time. The Green Wave brings together children and youth from around the world to raise awareness about biodiversity, and the need to reduce its loss. The Green Wave contributes to the Plant for the Planet Billion Tree Campaign.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=45f7qrF_xnc

Video above shows City Councilor Ed Piano together with ICT Rise-Up Club Adviser Ms. Jocelyn G. Mañago, Evely Nuesca, Fe Porras - Computer Dept OIC and Daniel Migues - DepEd joined the students in this worthwhile activity.


Meanwhile, members of Bagumbayan Volunteers and students of Olongapo Skills Training Center led by Councilor Ed Piano participated in the annual Brigada Eskwela.

The group adopted the Nellie E. Brown Elementary School (NEBES) for three reasons
1. Barangay West Bajac Bajac is the host of the Welding Program of the Olongapo Skills Training Center.
2. From among the schools in the city, NEBES has most number of chairs that are made of metal and needed repairs.
3. The city plans to make NEBES a pilot school wherein trades such as welding, carpentry, masonry, plumbing and painting will be part of its planned high school curriculum.

More than a hundred chairs and tables were repaired and repainted during the activity. Cleaning of the sorrounding area including roofs, drainages, gutters and tree trimming were performed by the volunteers.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JAwqKo76X8c

Video above shows the Bagumbayan Volunteers in action during Brigada Eskwela repairing chairs, cleaning classrooms and school library, watering plants, clearing walkways and drainages, trimming trees and painting the facility.

DepEd to save P3B with Brigada Eskwela

THE Department of Education (DepEd) hope to save some P3 billion or more in schools maintenance and operating costs with this year’s ‘Brigada Eskwela.’

Education Secretary Jesli Lapus made the statement disclosing that the peso value of donations-in-kind from generous donors amounted to P1.2 billion.

Lapus also disclosed that from only 31% participation rate or 12,533 schools in 2003, DepEd’s Brigada Eskewla posted a100% participation from all public schools nationwide.

Last year, the 44,619 public schools that joined “Brigada Eskwela” created P2.9 billion savings on maintenance and the peso value of volunteer time was pegged at P1.6 billion.

“Brigada has gone a long way in lengthening the service life of school facilities to the advantage of the education department which is perennially in need of additional funds for its infrastructure programs.” Lapus said.

The DepEd clarified that there is no cash involved in the Brigada Eskwela program and since community members and leaders of civic groups and non-government organizations are only encouraged to donate construction and cleaning materials and volunteer labor man-hours.

The materials included paint, plywood, hollow blocks, lumber, cement, sand and gravel, nails, Galvanized Iron (GI) sheets, wires, desks, toilets, doors, windows, and various cleaning materials.

The weeklong activity focuses on minor maintenance work, including the repainting of the roof and exterior walls and repair of leaking water pipes, ceiling boards, broken furniture and windows.

Lapus directed elementary and secondary school principals to lead the “Brigada” activities in their areas. The principals are held accountable for the donated materials as well as in-charge in soliciting volunteer man-hours for the activity.

Now on its seventh year, Brigada Eskwela which revives the Filipinos’ “bayanihan” spirit, was designed to encourage parents and members of the community to volunteer their time and efforts on maintenance and repair of their children’s schools in preparation for the opening of classes in June.

The DepEd annually gives appropriate recognition to “Brigada” participating schools, divisions, and regions that go “above and beyond” what is expected, for involving large volunteer turnout, and for doing permanent renovations and repair. By: Jeffrey C. Tiangco - Journal online