FEATURE:

Making dreams come true

Going to high school has always been a dream for Jenny Bandoquillo of Barangay Pagcolbon, Rapu-Rapu, Albay. This school year 2010 – 2011, she will be an incoming sophomore student at the Rapu-Rapu National High School. The youngest among nine children, Jenny is the second in the family to get a high school education.

For her father Nestor, sending his children in school has always been a problem. His monthly income of P2,500.00 a month as a water tender is barely enough to make both ends meet. Fortunately, Jenny qualifies for educational assistance under its Social Development and Management Program (SDMP) of the Rapu-Rapu Polymetallic Project (RRPP).

This program is being implemented by the RRPP among the impact barangays of Malobago, Binosawan, Pagcolbon, Linao, Tinopan and Sta. Barbara. For the school year 2009 – 2010, there were 199 students benefitting from this program which provides food and lodging allowance, school supplies and boat service from the barangays to Poblacion, and vice-versa, once a week.

Sunylyn Bersabal, another SDMP scholar from Barangay Pagcolbon said “with the scholarship being given to us, we no longer have to worry about provision of materials required for our education”. Sunylyn will be an incoming senior student this coming school year and has been a recipient of the SDMP scholarship program for the past three years. Having almost completed her high school education, she plans to take up Bachelor of Science in Hotel and Restaurant.  

For school year 2009-2010, the RRPP provided educational assistance to a total of 576 students under its SDMP educational assistance program and the Community Development Assistance Program (CDAP) scholarship program in acknowledging of its corporate social responsibility to the communities. (The Island News/ Foresight July-Dec. 2010 issue)