by CL Martinez

Legazpi City (6 October) -- Children in Barangay Cabacongan, Manito town in Albay province wanted so much to learn and are very eager to go to school everyday even if it means walking a few kilometers from their homes.

"But because of the physical structure of the Day Care Center, the children got discouraged and some of them think that tgoing to school is no fun at all," Barangay chairman Felix Arteta said.

This is why Bgy. Cabacongan out of 15 barangays in the municipality of Manito was prioritized during the MIBF, after it was found out to be in the bottom two during the ranking.

Years ago, the day-care teacher in Barangay Cabacongan had to contend with holding classes inside the makeshift tent or at the nearest chapel in the area. The makeshift classroom barely kept them dry, but the pupils diligently trooped to the secluded school everyday to grasp the opportunity that many may just take for granted.

The construction of the day-care center was funded through a PODER grant provided by the Spanish government through the Agenda Espanola de Cooperacion Internacional (AECI).

PODER is a community driven development project which empowers communities through the enhanced participation of the residents in efforts that reduce poverty. It is implemented by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

Through the PODER project, the people of Bgy. Cabacongan built the day care center - helping each other to speed up the work through division of labor. The beneficiaries were fortunate to have at their disposal skilled workers who shared their expertise for the completion of the project.

"We made sure that the school is completed right away so that the kids could use it immediately," Arteta said.

Municipal Mayor Carmencita Daep and the other municipal officials were very supportive and were always on-call to make sure that the project proceeds smoothly as planned.

The school built on a lot donated by the barangay is equipped with new chairs and desk and with a separate comfort rooms for boys and girls. The structure is also furnished with a teacher's table and a lavatory. A book collection for a small library as well as toys and other instructional materials are provided for by the project.

The pre-schoolers now enjoys the comfort of the new and complete amenities provided by the PODER assisted day-care center, a far cry from the predicament that they had undergone before the project came into the picture.