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Buhangin Central Elementary School Sped Center

For years, the sound of dripping water echoed like a constant reminder of a struggle Buhangin Central Elementary School SPED Center could not escape. Since 2004, the school’s water consumption and the bills that came with it had steadily climbed. With new classrooms rising year after year, the aging pipes hidden behind the old buildings weakened and broke down. Leaks became routine. Repairs were temporary. Month after month, the numbers on the water bill told the story of a budget stretched thin: ₱85,000, ₱100,000, and even ₱117,000.

School Principal 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗚𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗩. 𝗔𝗹𝗯𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗼 recalled the pressure they felt.

“Resources that should have been invested in instructional materials, learners’ activities, and facility improvements were instead used to pay for water. It undeniably influenced how we managed our school’s budget,” she said.

The problem went beyond inconvenience and drained the very resources meant to enrich the learning environment of the thousands of children who fill the halls of the most populated elementary school in Davao City.

𝗔 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗕𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗻𝘀

In 2023, help arrived. Under its
𝗕𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗮𝗱𝗮 𝗘𝘀𝗸𝘄𝗲𝗹𝗮 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺, the 𝗦𝘁𝗮. 𝗔𝗻𝗮 𝗠𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗶𝗽𝘂𝗿𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 (𝗦𝗔𝗠𝗨𝗟𝗖𝗢) donated plastic pipes to replace the main water lines clustered behind the building. These new pipes made leaks easier to monitor and control. The immediate improvement encouraged the school, but SAMULCO was not finished.

Soon after, under its 𝗜𝗻𝗳𝗿𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺, SAMULCO donated PPR pipes for further upgrades. Then came the most significant effort yet: a 𝗺𝗮𝗷𝗼𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗶𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁, completed and formally turned over on 𝗦𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟮𝟰, 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱, during a ceremony at the school’s VIP Room. The event carried a fitting theme titled“𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗸𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗚𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘀: 𝗔 𝗥𝗲𝗽𝗶𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗯𝘆 𝗦𝗔𝗠𝗨𝗟𝗖𝗢.”

This time, the entire system was transformed.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗡𝘂𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗧𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆

The impact was almost immediate. Water bills that once hit six figures began to plunge. From ₱130,000 the cost went down to ₱80,000, then to ₱59,000. Today, the school’s most recent bill reads only ₱𝟭𝟰,𝟬𝟬𝟬.

For 𝟭𝟲𝟬 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗻𝗼𝗻-𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗹, and the thousands of students who depend on the school daily, the relief is profound.

“This project, however, is far more than a repair. It is a crucial lifeline,” Principal Alberto emphasized. “We are securing a stable and safe water supply for our learners, teachers, and staff. The savings we achieve will now be channeled towards programs that directly enrich the learning experience and the performance of our students.”

“The Sta. Ana Multipurpose Cooperative has not only provided us with a fully functional water system,” she added, “you have granted us the opportunity to invest more deeply in the future of our learners.”

𝟭𝟲𝟬 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗻𝗼𝗻-𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗹,

For SAMULCO, the success of the project is measured not only in pesos saved.

“The gain is not the financial savings,” said SAMULCO 𝗖𝗘𝗢 𝗥𝘂𝗲𝗹 𝗦. 𝗥𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗯𝗼, 𝗥𝗖𝗘, during the turnover ceremony. “The real gain is the future of the children. Ang kabataan ang pag-asa ng bayan. Let us invest in their future.”

Ricabo also officially announced that 𝗕𝘂𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻 𝗖𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗘𝗹𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹 𝗦𝗣𝗘𝗗 𝗖𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗮 𝗦𝗔𝗠𝗨𝗟𝗖𝗢 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗻𝗲𝗿 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹, a partnership built not just on pipes and infrastructure but on a shared vision of empowering the next generation.

𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗕𝘂𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗛𝗼𝗽𝗲

What began as a costly and frustrating problem has become a story of transformation. Where there were once leaks draining resources, there is now opportunity. The savings once lost to wasted water will now flow into books, activities, and facilities, investments that will shape the minds and futures of Davao City’s young learners.

Indeed, from leaks to gains, this project proves that when communities and cooperatives work together, the greatest dividends are not only measured in money but also in the brighter futures of the children they serve.