09 September 2005
Pinoy expatriates challenged: ‘Adopt your own alma maters!’
FILIPINO expatriates in California and the United States have been asked to adopt schools, preferably their alma maters, and build classrooms for them which the government cannot afford to build at this time.
This was the challenge hurled by Dagupan City Vice Mayor Alvin Fernandez during the induction of the new set of officers of the Greater Long Beach Association, Inc. headed by Pepe Palaganas in Los Angeles, California last week.
The Dagupan vice mayor represented his father, Immigration Commissioner Alipio Fernandez, Jr., as guest of honor and speaker in the activity.
Fernandez said most, if not all, of the expatriates graduated from elementary and high schools in the Philippines who are now well off in the land of milk and honey and may want to help their respective former schools anywhere in the Philippines.
He said the Adopt-A-School program would benefit Filipino pupils and students in public elementary and high schools who can not be accommodated in the few classrooms because of their sheer numbers.
Fernandez cited the Filipino-Chinese Chambers of Commerce that has been helping the Philippine government build classroom in rural areas where such are lacking
“Our public school children, who shall benefit from this worthwhile project, would be forever grateful for our contributions,” Fernandez told the Filipino expatriates. Citing the normal expenses of the benevolent Filipino-Chinese Chambers of Commerce, Fernandez said each two-room school building costs some P380,000 or P190,000 per class.
This was the challenge hurled by Dagupan City Vice Mayor Alvin Fernandez during the induction of the new set of officers of the Greater Long Beach Association, Inc. headed by Pepe Palaganas in Los Angeles, California last week.
The Dagupan vice mayor represented his father, Immigration Commissioner Alipio Fernandez, Jr., as guest of honor and speaker in the activity.
Fernandez said most, if not all, of the expatriates graduated from elementary and high schools in the Philippines who are now well off in the land of milk and honey and may want to help their respective former schools anywhere in the Philippines.
He said the Adopt-A-School program would benefit Filipino pupils and students in public elementary and high schools who can not be accommodated in the few classrooms because of their sheer numbers.
Fernandez cited the Filipino-Chinese Chambers of Commerce that has been helping the Philippine government build classroom in rural areas where such are lacking
“Our public school children, who shall benefit from this worthwhile project, would be forever grateful for our contributions,” Fernandez told the Filipino expatriates. Citing the normal expenses of the benevolent Filipino-Chinese Chambers of Commerce, Fernandez said each two-room school building costs some P380,000 or P190,000 per class.
