Hip-hop artist turns over school buildings

FILIPINO-AMERICAN singer Apl de Ap (Allan Pineda Lindo Jr.) of the famous rap group Black Eyed Peas led the turnover of school buildings in barangays Balulang and Iponan in Cagayan de Oro on Tuesday, which he had helped fund.

Barangays Balulang and Iponan are two villages in the city that were affected by last year’s Tropical Storm Sendong.

Apl de Ap said students are usually the ones who are most affected by the string of calamities besetting the country.

CAGAYAN DE ORO. Apl de ap (Allan Pineda Lindo Jr.) of the famous group Black Eyed Peas shares a song to the students of Iponan Elementary School during a turn-over of a school building that he had helped fund along with San Miguel Corp., Philippine Business for Social Progress and Aklat, Gabay, Aruga tungo sa Pag-angat at Pag-asa Foundation. (Joey P. Nacalaban)

The singer helped fund the school buildings at Balulang Elementary School and Iponan Elementary School in partnership with San Miguel Pale Pilsen through the San Miguel Foundation, the Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP) and Aklat, Gabay, Aruga tungo sa Pag-angat at Pag-asa (Agapp) Foundation.

At Iponan Elementary School, the two-classroom school building is called the PBB House which houses the kindergarten pupils.

Apl de Ap, known for his advocacy on education, first visited the students in February 2012 and vowed to return to turn over the buildings.

“I hope that instead of getting discouraged to go to school, they take these unfortunate events as a challenge for them to study harder. If poverty is not a hindrance to one’s dream of success, then, even the strongest of typhoons should not stop us from learning,” he said.

The singer along with project partners also turned over four newly-constructed classrooms at Pugaan Elementary School in Iligan City in August.

The cities of Cagayan de Oro and Iligan were among those badly hit by tropical storm Sendong where several infrastructures such as schools were damaged and destroyed.

“I know that there is a lot to improve on our educational system but I remain hopeful that if we continue to work together with various sectors in making education accessible to the less fortunate, then, we are always a step closer to our dream of alleviating poverty through education,” Apl de Ap said.

Dr. Gemma Ong, school principal of Iponan Elementary School, said the additional two classroom building is a great help to answer the classroom shortage.

The school reportedly needs at least 28 classrooms.

“We have 25 classrooms with 28 sections comprising 1,400 school children, thus a shortage of at least three more,” Ong said. (Abigail Chee Kee Malalis)