Rebuilding Marawi through relevant partnerships

(From left) UAP-EA deputy chairperson Jose Miranda, UAP-EA chairperson Stephanie Gilles, GMAKF EVP/COO Rikki Escudero-Catibog, UAP outgoing president Guillermo Hisancha, and UAP incoming president Benjamin Panganiban sign a Memorandum of Agreement on April 14, 2018 at the SMX Convention Center to rehabilitate the Datu Saber Elementary School in Barangay Saber, Marawi City.

Recognizing the urgency of the dire needs of Filipino children displaced by the Marawi siege in Lanao Del Sur which ended last October, GMA Kapuso Foundation (GMAKF) and the Emergency Architects of the United Architects of the Philippines (UAP-EA) have forged a partnership to build a space-saving, well-lighted and ventilated school in the heart of Marawi City.

GMAKF and UAP-EA signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) at the SMX Convention Center on April 14 to rehabilitate the Datu Saber Elementary School in Barangay Saber, Marawi City.

Standing on 300 square meters, the old Datu Saber School had 4 small classrooms for 450 students—and this number is expected to swell when more displaced families return and re-enroll their children.  The school is well-known in Marawi City because despite its cramped space, its students garnered high scores in consecutive National Aptitude Tests.

The UAP-EA is made up of an elite group of architects whose specialty and interest lie in post-disaster risk-resilient construction, emergency structures and site planning. The group was specifically tapped to respond to the unique challenges posed by the limited land area of Datu Saber Elementary School.

Datu Saber is only one of three schools in Marawi City that GMA Kapuso Foundation will be helping. The other beneficiaries of GMAKF’s rebuild and rehab plan in the city are Pendolonan and Camp Bagong Amai Pakpak Elementary Schools.

Signing on behalf of GMA Kapuso Foundation was EVP and COO Rikki Escudero-Catibog.

Signing for the UAP were outgoing national president Guillermo H. Hisancha and incoming national president Benjamin Panganiban.

For the UAP-EA, chairperson Marie Stephanie Gilles and deputy chairperson Jose Miranda were the signatories. UAP Ways and Means Committee chairperson Dante Aguirre was also on hand to witness the MOA signing as well as to get started on fund raising among construction supply sponsors and partners.

"We need more donations to come in to help fund the Rebuild Marawi Project. So many children in Marawi need better schools,” said Escudero-Catibog.

“People come to us to ask for help and we never turned a blind eye or deaf ear. We believe that each plea is a golden opportunity to help,” said Gilles.

For donations to the Rebuild Marawi Project, you may visit the GMAKF Office, 2nd Floor GMA Kapuso Center, GMA Network Driver cor. Samar Street in Quezon City.

You may also deposit your donations in GMAKF bank accounts in Metrobank, BDO, PNB and UCPB.

For more inquiries, you may contact GMAKF at gmaf@gmanetwork.com or (02) 928-9351/928-4299.

Press release from GMA Kapuso Foundation