TABUK CITY, Kalinga (15 October) -- The Barangay Council of Bado Dangwa this city posed this challenge to their constituents that "it is patriotic to ask ourselves what we can do for government."

Responding to this challenge, the community people work with their local officials and requested the establishment of a high school in their barangay. With their efforts bearing fruit, the first year high school was opened last June this year.

Pioneer first year students of the Tuga National High School (TNHS) – Bado Dangwa Annex are having their class at the barangay hall with three volunteer teachers.

Barangay Chairman Pedro Angog said "doing things by ourselves like initiating the establishment of schools in cluster barangays guarantees our children the building of a knowledge society under the education for all program of government."

He said the council was able to get financial assistance from the Chinese Chamber of Commerce in the Philippines (CCCP) for a two unit school building. "This October, construction will start on a one) hectare lot donated by Engineer Nelson Aquino, a resident of the place," Angog said.

Teacher-in-Charge Emilia Bulawit said the building is targeted to be finished this school year and ready for occupancy by in-coming second year students. She said DepEd-CAR approved two unit buildings while Board Member Eduardo Buliyat also promised to legislate for one unit next year.

From the assistance of the CCCP and with the pledges of DepEd-CAR and the provincial government made public during the opening of the school, the community people expects that the first to fourth year secondary curriculum of the TNHS-Bado Dangwa Annex will be completed next school year.

Bulawit said the community people are hauling gravel and sand from the Chico river down as their counterpart to the CCCP assisted building aside from providing for local materials.

In April this year, Bulawit, who is a permanent teacher at TNHS with Angog shared the idea of opening a high school annex in the barangay to cater to students in the cluster barangays of Western Tabuk City.

Students from across the Chico River go to Bulanao and Dagupan this city to study which entails them to pay for their daily fares, boarding house rent, food and miscellaneous needs. "With the annex school opened, parents save a lot from spending for the educational needs of their children," Bulawit said.

Bulawit narrated that the whole Barangay Council made representations with Samuel Dawagan, the school head of TNHS regarding their request. She said Dawagan readily considered the proposal and asked the Council to work it out with the DepEd Regional Office.

After the approval of DepEd-CAR, the school was formally opened by Schools Division Superintendent Cesar Adaoag on June 12, 2007.

Bulawit informed that the fist enrollees were those Grade 6 graduates from the peripheral barangays of Bado Dangwa who were not sure of pursuing high school at central Tabuk for financial constraints.

"The multiplier effect being observed with the opening of the high school annex is the decrease in the number of loitering school drop outs since they are back to school and no more playing of cards," Bulawit quipped.