Philippines - Classroom rebuilding, Calassitan Elementary School

In September 2018 Typhoon Mangkhut (known locally as Ompong) landed in Northern Luzon causing catastrophic damage. Thousands of residents lost their homes, entire crops were destroyed, and major infrastructures severely affected, bringing misery and the prospect of hunger to the Cagayan region. 

On hearing this news, we contacted our friends, Magasaysay who are responsible for crewing our Sky ships to find out how we could assist. Their Homer Foundation asked for support in rebuilding a classroom in Calasittan, a remote village which is home to 3,000 residents of whom many are members of the Agay/Aeta indigenous tribes dependent on subsistence agriculture. The community were left almost homeless and dependent on outside aid until their next harvest.

The Calassitan Elementary school which is attended by local children including indigenous people was badly damaged with one classroom completely destroyed. The damaged buildings were repaired but funds were needed for the rebuild of the classroom that was destroyed.

With a donation from the NCCT of £13,000 work began on 17 May 2019. A number of challenges were then thrown at the project as a series of typhoons, floods causing impassable roads, a shortage of building materials, and finally the Covid 19 pandemic delayed work. Despite all this, due to the determined efforts of all involved, the classroom was finally completed at the end of May 2021.

NCCT donated £13,145 towards this project.