Globe Platinum turns-over Noah's Ark classrooms in Aklan

When elementary students in New Washington, Aklan return to school on Monday, a Noah's Ark classroom is set to welcome them to be part of their school year 2015-2016. What used to be hollow blocks or even just sand and gravel during our first visit in Aklan last December 2014, are now classrooms ready to be used.

As part of its commitment to nation-building, Globe Platinum, together with Globe Rewards, partnered with Habitat for Humanity for the construction of classrooms not only in New Washington but 6 other municipalities in Aklan namely - Libacao, Madalag, Banga, Batan, Altavas and Balete.

These seven municipalities in Aklan are renewed with hope from the devastation of typhoon Haiyan in 2013 as Globe Telecom premium postpaid brand Globe Platinum turned over new classrooms last May 28, 2015. Globe Platinum’s Noah’s Ark is one of several projects being undertaken by Globe as a development partner for Aklan under the Office of the Presidential Assistant for Rehabilitation and Recovery (OPARR).

Under its rehabilitation and rebuilding initiative dubbed as Noah’s Ark, Globe Platinum turned-over 7 classrooms over to the Aklan provincial government in a ceremony held at the New Washington Central Elementary School. 

“We know how our customers look for meaningful advocacies to support and we are glad that they were able to inspire their fellow Filipinos with renewed hope through the Noah’s Ark project." says Kaisie Del Carmen, Globe Platinum Director. 

Kaisie Del Carmen of Globe Platinum

Del Carmen led the ceremonial turnover together with Yvonne Lih, Chief Marketing Officer of Habitat for Humanity as well as officials from Department of Education, and the local government offices of New Washington and the province of Aklan. 

Yvonne Lih of Habitat for Humanity

The LGUs expressed their appreciation to Globe Platinum and its customers for driving the advocacy of giving and sharing to help others, especially students who will benefit from the Noah’s Ark classrooms in time for the opening of the school season on June. 

More than 5,000 students are set to benefit from the new classrooms. In a message sent by Aklan Governor Florencio Miraflores, “The students and communities of Aklan would like to extend our sincerest gratitude to Globe and its generous customers who made Noah’s Ark Project possible. It’s wonderful to see how people’s selfless generosity can create an enormous impact on so many lives.”

The “Noah’s Ark classrooms” are built to double as evacuation sites with its capacity to hold a large number of people and is bigger than the DepEd standard room. It is a multipurpose classroom as it will also serve as an evacuation center when the need arises. 

The classrooms were funded through the generosity of Globe Platinum customers and in return they'll receive a simple "Card of Thanks" designed by the students in these various recipient schools

It will be equipped with three toilet-and-bath facilities and kitchen for both the students and evacuees in case of disaster.  Designed to withstand winds of up to 250 kilometers per hour, Noah's Ark -type of classrooms in these seven towns of Aklan, Globe is looking for disaster resiliency for this project. 

After the ceremonial turnover, Globe and its guests participated in a community mural painting, and helped out in cleaning the classrooms in support of the Department of Education’s Brigada Eskwela, a school maintenance and rehabilitation effort in preparation for the opening of classes in June 2015.

"This is just the first of many more nation-building efforts we plan to do to give the gift of hope and inspiration to more Filipinos together with the collaborative efforts from our partners and customers” says Del Carmen to end this wonderful day in Aklan.