THE third largest electric utility in the country, the Aboitiz-owned Davao Light and Power Company, turned over on January 8, the 26th school building it has constructed and donated to the Department of Education.
The three-classroom facility is built at the Mahayag High School campus in Mahayag, Bunawan District.
The power firm's project is also the 16th school building constructed in Davao City. The others are built in its northern franchise area in Panabo City, Carmen, Dujali and Sto. Tomas in Davao del Norte.
The new three-classroom-one storey structure cost roughly P1.8 million including its 150 armchairs. Of the total cost the city government provided a counterpart fund of P375,000.
Davao Light's executive vice president Manuel M. Orig, chief operating officer Art Milan, and Councilor Tomas Monteverde IV who represented Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, turned over the building to Deped officials and Mahayag Barangay Captain Romeo Baquirel.
From the DepEd to personally accept the new education facility were regional and city DepEd officials led by Fe delos Reyes, regional assistant director, and Dr. Helen D. Paguican, city schools division superintendent.
The two officials in turn, handed over the ceremonial key to the building to F. Bustamante National High School principal Arlene Pernes and Mahayag school-in-charge Lydia Saranza. Mahayag High is an annex campus of F. Bustamante.
The ceremony was witnessed by second district Representative Vincent Garcia and her sister lawyer Millene Garcia, Bunawan Parish Priest Jovilo B. Bongay who also blessed the new building, teachers, and other members of the community.
Middle of 2006, Representative Garcia talked with Davao Light Corporate Community Relations manager Vic Sumalinog for possible building donation to Mahayag High School which at that time, the congressman said, he was working for its creation.
The verbal request was later followed up by Barangay Captain Baquirel through a resolution submitted to Davao Light.
The project was only realized in 2009 since there were already other earlier approved requests for donations of classrooms by other schools.