A town finally gets a library

At the opening of the library at the San Roque Elementary School in Cabiao, Nueva Ecija.

A town finally gets a library

by: Andrea Pedrosa, The Manila Bulletin

It takes a circuitous journey along the foothills of Mt. Arayat before one reaches Cabiao in Nueva Ecija from Metro Manila. This is the site of AHON’s (Acts of Hope for the Nation) 37th library, its third in Nueva Ecija.

AHON Foundation, the corporate foundation of Filway Marketing, Inc. works to empower public elementary schools to further propagate quality education which every person deserves. It has already facilitated the building of of well-equipped libraries in public elementary schools all across the nation. But this is no simple donor-benefactor scheme as one of AHON’s main proponents is to challenge the community to work together under the supervision of the principal and his team. Officials in the local government, parents, teachers, and the entire community work hand in hand in the development of what may be a source of inspiration for the youth.

On August 2, 2010, the San Roque Elementary School held the inauguration of its library in Cabiao, Nueva Ecija. What went down was a heartfelt affair which included esteemed guests like Harvey Keh, executive director of AHON Foundation, Valerie Valeña, vice president of Filway Marketing Inc. and Mayor Gloria Congco of Cabiao, along with school principal Dr. Rodeo Miranda and some members of the municipal council. The library can accommodate not only students but parents and teachers as well, seeing that the books cater to a wide age range and people of varied interests. Teaching values and responsibility, how to cook certain meals and the Guinness World Records 2010 are just some of the books available to all. “It would also serve as a good example for the children when they see their parents read. This is one of many projects geared towards development for Cabiao to come,” Congco says in her address to the parents in the ceremony. Keh, in his message, stresses the importance of education of the youth and the collaboration of the community in order to function and to prosper.

United for a cause

Prior to inauguration day, faculty and parents involved in the construction all showed dedication and determination to see the project through. Even school principal Dr. Miranda helped paint the walls! What was for a long time a damp and gloomy cellar became a repository of knowledge and new hope. But truth be told, the most spectacular thing in this brand new library lies in its potential to entice readers to view the world differently. Life will surely continue on being interesting for the readers as they begin to take notice, begin to question, begin to move forth.

The author is a graduate of the University of the Philippines-Diliman campus and is now the program officer of AHON Foundation. To know more about AHON Foundation, visit http://www.ahonfoundation.com [1] or email contact@ahonfoundation.com [2]

Library for Cabiao

Last week we formally opened the Acts of Hope for the Nation’s 37th adopted public elementary school library – San Roque Elementary School in Cabiao, Nueva Ecija. When i first visited this school just two months ago, I was very sad to see that many of their books in their worn down library was from the 1960s and 1970s. This is the situation not only in San Roque but in practically many of our public school libraries thus, it is no wonder that we continue to lag behind our Asian neighbors in terms of education. Good thing that the school had a dynamic principal in Dr. Miranda and a very hardworking Municipal Mayor in Mayor Baby Congco. Together with the parents, teachers and other community leaders they all chipped in and worked together to help refurbish the library while AHON Foundation under the leadership of our Chairman, Mr. Chito Tagaysay provided the library with P 600,000 worth of brand new books and reference materials! Now, the children of Cabiao can learn how to read and hopefully have a better future ahead!