Assistance for Misamis Oriental Schools

“Teacher” Julie Tan reading out a story to the pupils.

A pooling of efforts and resources: That’s what best describes the more recent project of the Tan Yan Kee Foundation for the Kalabaylabay Elementary and the El Salvador Central Schools located in Misamis Oriental. This undertaking was made possible by the generous contributions of various companies in the Lucio Tan Group.

The children of Kalabaylabay Elementary School donning their new Tan Yan Kee shirts.

Asia Brewery General Manager Benito Barcelona prepares to hand out slippers to the school children.

Pupils sowing vegetable seeds at the Tan Yan Kee Vegetable Garden.

Signing of the Deed of Donation for the rehabilitation and repaving of the El Salvador Central School’s sidewalk. From left, Tanduay-El Salvador Plant Manager Tony Ong, Lucio Tan III, El Salvador CS Principal Grace Paculba, and DepEd District Supervisor Rodillo Salve.

For Kalabaylabay, the team up between the Foundation and companies in the LT Group resulted to a newly-renovated school library and clinic. The said facilities are now also equipped with and Educational Television Infrastructure Package (comprising of a Television, a DVD Player, and 108 volumes various educational materials), 500 brand-new storybooks, plastic chairs and tables, clinic bed, a medical kit, and a nebulizer. Planting Calendars, Planting Guidebooks, and various vegetable seeds were also provided for their newly opened “Tan Yan Kee Vegetable Garden”. The school children, on the other hand, were each given a pair of slippers and t-shirts; these were bought using funds donated by teachers and pupils of the Lick Wilmerding High School of San Francisco, California, U.S.A. 

For El Salvador, the school’s walkway was rehabilitated and re-paved. In the past, pupils would have to go around the whole school compound just to reach the main entrance, as the old access walkway was usually puddled with thick mud. Planting Calendars, Guidebooks, and seeds were also given to the school for their own “Tan Yan Kee Vegetable Garden”. 

The turnover of the materials, the inauguration of the new library and clinic, and the signing of the Deeds of Donation were held during a brief ceremony acknowledging the efforts of Tan Yan Kee and the Lucio Tan Group of Companies, particularly Fortune Tobacco, Tanduay Distillers, Asia Brewery, Allied Bank, Philippine National Bank, Philippine Airlines, and Air Philippines.

School principals Leonora Juario of Kalabaylabay and Grace Paculba of El Salvador were joined by Department of Education’s Regional Director Dr. Estella Babano and District Supervisor Rodillo Salve in welcoming representatives of Tan Yan Kee and LT Group Companies headed by Julie C. Tan, Lucio Tan III (the two acted as storytellers during a storytelling session), Tanduay-El Salvador Plant Manager Tony Ong, and Asia Brewery General Manager Benito Barcelona.

Also on hand was Zen Dimalanta of ABS-CBN Foundation, who gave an overview of the Educational Television Project. ABS-CBN Foundation conceptualized the ETV Project and produced all the shows used in the ETV DVD materials.