top of page

Eskwela ta Bai: Building Hope One School at a Time

TO go the distance means to go far – or even the farthest. In the case of Vice Mayor Bebot Rodriguez, this is not only what she believes in; this is what she does.


Emboldened by her election promise to go back to the remotest areas of the city, VM Bebot created her flagship program Eskwela Ta Bai!, pursuant to her HEED program of governance in education.

Photo credits: VM Bebot Rodriguez official Facebook page


In the PSA Annual Poverty Indicators Survey for the school year 2022 to 2023, nearly a fifth of Filipino children were either not enrolled in school or irregularly attended classes due to reasons such as lack of personal interest and financial constraints. This stark reality calls for comprehensive interventions that address educational disparities and promote inclusive learning opportunities.


As part of her mission, VM Bebot and her team visited various schools, most especially the hinterland barangays such as Dunggoan Integrated School and Magayad Integrated School in Brgy. Tignapoloan, as well as Cadayonan Integrated School and Besigan National High School in Barangay Besigan, the city’s farthest barangay among the 80.


During these visits, she distributed school bags with essential supplies like pencils, erasers, scissors, sharpeners, notebooks, papers, slippers, crayons, and rulers. Additionally, VM Bebot donated sports equipment to the schools to help in the holistic formation of the Kagay-anon youth.


These supplies hold significant value as the lady vice mayor acknowledges the harsh truth that not every family can afford to provide their children with all necessary school supplies and that some public schools struggle to acquire all the resources they need with their allocated funding.


Despite the challenges en route to the hinterland, VM Bebot remains steadfast in her belief that the effort is both worthwhile and inherently rewarding. For her, serving every corner of the city beyond the confines of her office is a more personal and heartfelt form of public service.


“It is truly a rewarding mission, especially makita nimo mag-smile ang mga bata. Tsada sa feeling that I help them build their dreams; and we will continue this Eskwela Ta Bai advocacy one school at a time,” said VM Bebot.

Comments


bottom of page