Guv gives school supplies to Looy school pupils

COTABATO City–More than six hundred pupils of Looy Elementary School in South Upi, Maguindanao received last week school bag and school supplies from Governor Mujiv Hataman of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).

Amin Hataman, the ARMM governor’s son, joined his father in the distribution of scool items as-well-as in school inspection.

The giving of school bags and school supplies, is a joint-effort of the ARMM government and the STI-Cotabato team as well as media giant ABS-CBN.

Blessy Mae Fantingan, a nine year-old Grade 4 student of Looy Elementary School said: “Masaya po kami at nagpapasalamat dahil tunay na bag na ang aming gagamitin hindi na po plastic bag. (We are happy and thankful because we will now use school bag instead of plastic bag.)”

Looy Elementary School has 13 instructional rooms and 17 teachers. Noli D. Severo, school head, said it is the first time that a highanking official of the ARMM government visited the school.

Gov. Hataman also inspected Looy Integrated Technical Vocational High School and vowed to rehabilitate four classroom buildings. “We will allocate P1.5 million for the classrooms rehabilitation of Looy High School,” he said. Some students and teachers cried when they heard the governor’s announcement.

“Kahit maliit lang ang sweldo namin, okay lang, dahil nakikita namin kung gaano ka pursigido ang mga estudyante na makapagtapos (Although our pay is low, we feel fine since we see our students determined to finish school),” Belleardo Ciciro, a volunteer teacher said. There are 85 volunteer teachers in South Upi district in 38 elementary and five secondary schools.

Most of the students of Looy Elementary School and Looy Integrated Technical Vocational High School belong to the Teduray tribe. (bureau of public information)