Agoncillo, Batangas

 
CFO driver Angie and PMO Staff Erwin and Tobi picked up Pablito in Hillsborough Village at 8:00 AM for the site visit to the FtH classrooms in Brgy Bangin, Agoncillo, Batangas, the AURELIA CAROLINO SOLIS LEARNING CENTER. I noticed that Angie skipped the faster, shorter Southern Luzon Expressway (SLEX) in favor of the busy, traffic-clogged route of Bacoor,  Dasmarinas, Tagaytay most probably to avoid the high toll fees. We stopped for breakfast in a Jollibee restaurant in Tagaytay for about 15 minutes and proceeded to our destination to Agoncillo, arriving at the school at around 11:00 AM.
 
Today, the teacher from DSWD decided to combine the 2 sections into one and dismissed the class by 10:00 AM and the students were all gone when we got there, but she stayed behind and waited for us. Usually there are 2 sessions in the morning, from 7:00 AM to 10:00 AM and the second session from 10AM-12:00 Noon. The classrooms were very clean, the ceramic floor tiles very shinny. Only one of the 2 classrooms was being used for the kids ages 3-5 years old as a day care. Later, the Mayor explained that the other classroom will also be busy when some kids from another Barangay will be transferred to the FtH Classrooms by January 2011. It appears that some parents are resisting the transfer due to the additional cost of commuting of the students with the parent in chaperon.
 
The DSWD teacher accompanied us to the office of the Mayor, Glorioso Martinez, whom we have met when we first made the courtesy call during the initial stages of the classroom project, some 2 years ago, how time flies when you are enjoying your work. The Mayor explained that the survey of the school grounds, as required in the MOA, has been done already but could not be released until paid for, and the voucher is almost ready. After the survey, the title will be registered, the fence will be built, a marker will be posted at the gate to the school, some playground equipments will be installed, all scheduled to be completed by 2011. The Mayor also expected that the 2 classrooms will be fully utilized when other day care center in other Barangays will be transferred to this Center.
 
We left Agoncillo by about 1PM, had lunch in Tagaytay in one of those native restaurant with a grand view of Taal lake and I was home in Hillsborough by 4PM tired but happy that we were able to clarify some issues about the school.
 
Pablito
Dec 16, 2010.