The Rio Tuba Nickel Mining Corporation (RTNMC) has extended some P25,000 worth of school supplies and ink set as relief effort for teachers and students of Tagpas Elementary School in barangay Latud, Rizal during the blended learning scheme.
Community development organizer Bobit Alihan said that due to the distance of the school, teachers are having time to provide enough supplies to use for the modules needed by the students.
“Medyo may kalayuan kasi sa magandang daan ‘yong kanilang elementary (school) kaya parang ang hirap ng transport doon, ang nangyari, may mga gamit naman pero kapag kinapos sila, nahihirapan sila. Kaya ngayon ay humingi sila ng tulong para sa financial assistance para sa ink at bondpaper. Iyong area kasi nila ay mabundok,” he said.
Around 110 students will benefit from the supplies provided by the mining company, which would be beneficial during the blended learning scheme. The supplies include 40 reams of bond paper and ink sets for module production.
Despite of the distance of students’ houses from the school, teachers are still visiting them to give the modules to cope with the new educational landscape due to pandemic.
“Sila pa rin talaga ang nagbabahay sa mga bahay-bahay kasi baka walang kumuha ng modules sa school. Mas binibigyan ng IP community na ito ng importansya ang education simula nong 2014 SDMP nila. Nakapag-usap na rin kami na hindi lang dito magtatapos ang tulong ni RTN, may projects pa na pwede pagkunan sa 2020 SDMP. Iko-continue din hindi lang sa Tagpas kung hindi sa ibang schools din,” he said.
The assistance provided came from the budget allotment of Social Development and Management Program (SDMP) 2020- Access to Educational Interventions for the Indigenous People (IP) community of Sitio Tagpas.