Photos provided by the Tzu Chi Foundation to the Mindanao Examiner Regional Newspaper show volunteers working on pre-fabricated classrooms in Zamboanga City in southern Philippines.
ZAMBOANGA CITY (Mindanao Examiner / Feb. 4, 2014) – The Taiwan Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation is building dozens of semi-permanent classrooms in Zamboanga City in southern Philippines in an effort to help address the shortage of rooms in public schools, now being used as temporary shelters by villagers displaced by war between rebels and security forces late last year.
The fighting in September – triggered by attacks of Moro National Liberation Front separatist rebels – left more than 400 people dead and wounded and forced over 120,000 people to flee their homes. The street battles last more three weeks and left many villages in ruins.
At least 80 pre-fabricated rooms made from aluminium and polypropylene plastic are being built or under construction in schools in the villages of Talon-Talon, Tulungatung, Taluksangay, Ayala and Sangali.
On Tuesday, the Tzu Chi Foundation led by Dr Anton Lim initially handed – in a ceremonial turn over – six classrooms – built in Talon-Talon National High School – to Mayor Maria Isabelle Salazar, who praised those behind the humanitarian project.
“We are building at least 80 semi-permanent classrooms for public school students in Zamboanga and this is part of the world-wide projects of Tzu Chi Foundation. We are helping the students by building these classrooms which will last for many years in an effort also to decongest public schools,” Lim told the regional newspaper Mindanao Examiner.
Lim said each pre-fabricated room costs around $7200 (P326,952) and this does not include the platform which is about $700 (P32,000). The classroom can hold up to 75 students and is designed with adequate ventilation and sound-proof walls.
He said Tzu Chi volunteers are helping build the rooms in Zamboanga City. “Tzu Chi volunteers are working on this project in Zamboanga and we are thankful for each and everyone who are working hard for this project,” Lim said.
Materials used in the rooms came all the way from Taiwan and were all manufactured by Tzu Chi volunteers.
Lim said the Tzu Chi Foundation, founded in 1966 by Dharma Master Cheng Yen, is also eyeing in building at least 1,000 housing units for war victims in Zamboanga – many of them are still in temporary shelters and evacuations sites. “We are scouting for areas where we can build initially about 200 houses, but we are looking at 1,000 units along the way, to help provide shelters to families displaced by the fighting last year,” he said.
Just recently, Tzu Chi Foundation also erected dozens of similar classrooms in Leyte province in central Philippines which was ravaged by typhoon Haiyan last year. The project in Leyte is part of the rehabilitation efforts by the Buddhist group which also launched there its cash-for-work and clean-up program, including medical and humanitarian missions.
Among Tzu Chi missions include charity, education, humanity, medicine and environmental protection. (Mindanao Examiner)
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