Turnover of Japan-Funded Classrooms-Evacuation Center for Almacen Elementary School in Hermosa, Bataan
2016/7/27
Japan Information and Culture Center (JICC) - Press Release No. 34 - 2016
A turnover ceremony was held on July 26, 2016 for “The Project for the Construction of Classrooms-Evacuation Center for Almacen Elementary School in Hermosa, Bataan.” The ceremony was attended by Mr. Hiroyuki Enoki, First Secretary of the Embassy of Japan (EOJ), Hon. Antonio Joseph R. Inton, Municipal Mayor of Hermosa, Ms. Elma Dizon, District Supervisor of Department of Education-Bataan; Ms. Julieta Bernaldo, Prinicipal of the Almacen Elementary School, and other guests from the Local Government Unit (LGU) of Hermosa including the students and parents of the said school.
The municipality of Hermosa is often constrained by heavy floods because of its geographic peculiarity. Sometimes, heavy floods bring about up to two (2) meter elevation of water level in the area where the Almacen Elementary School is located. This situation further causes the closure of the school of an average of 30 school days per year. Moreover, there were no evacuation facilities for the residents in the area. Therefore, it is an urgent need for the school to have elevated classrooms which can also be used by residents of nearby communities as evacuation centers during calamities.
Due to heavy floods, water level, especially the area where the Almacen Elementary School is situated, sometimes reaches up to two (2) meters high. This situation further resulted to the loss of an average of 30 school days per year. Moreover, there were no evacuation centers for residents in the area. As such, there was a need for the school to have elevated classrooms calamities which can also be used by residents of nearby communities as evacuation centers during calamities.
In 2014, under the Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects (GGP), the Embassy of Japan provided assistance to the municipal government of Hermosa amounting to USD 100,220 (approximately 4.4 million pesos) for the construction of an elevated school building with four (4) classrooms on the second floor. Through this project, the EOJ hopes to provide not only a conducive learning environment to around 450 students and teachers but also a safe evacuation center to around 600 residents of nearby barangays in times of flooding.
The Government of Japan, as the top ODA donor for the Philippines, launched the Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects in the Philippines in 1989 for the purpose of reducing poverty and helping various communities engaged in grassroots activities. To date, there are 519 grassroots projects that have been funded by GGP.
The municipality of Hermosa is often constrained by heavy floods because of its geographic peculiarity. Sometimes, heavy floods bring about up to two (2) meter elevation of water level in the area where the Almacen Elementary School is located. This situation further causes the closure of the school of an average of 30 school days per year. Moreover, there were no evacuation facilities for the residents in the area. Therefore, it is an urgent need for the school to have elevated classrooms which can also be used by residents of nearby communities as evacuation centers during calamities.
Due to heavy floods, water level, especially the area where the Almacen Elementary School is situated, sometimes reaches up to two (2) meters high. This situation further resulted to the loss of an average of 30 school days per year. Moreover, there were no evacuation centers for residents in the area. As such, there was a need for the school to have elevated classrooms calamities which can also be used by residents of nearby communities as evacuation centers during calamities.
In 2014, under the Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects (GGP), the Embassy of Japan provided assistance to the municipal government of Hermosa amounting to USD 100,220 (approximately 4.4 million pesos) for the construction of an elevated school building with four (4) classrooms on the second floor. Through this project, the EOJ hopes to provide not only a conducive learning environment to around 450 students and teachers but also a safe evacuation center to around 600 residents of nearby barangays in times of flooding.
The Government of Japan, as the top ODA donor for the Philippines, launched the Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects in the Philippines in 1989 for the purpose of reducing poverty and helping various communities engaged in grassroots activities. To date, there are 519 grassroots projects that have been funded by GGP.