Today, May 18 is the start of the National School's Maintenance Week, which is more commonly known as
Brigada Eskwela. This morning, there was a parade attended by students, parents, teachers and barangay officials from the nearby public high school in our place to announce the start the
Brigada. It was the same
high school where my sister graduated last month.
This is a very nice initiative of the Department of Education (DEPED) in collaboration with the school officials, the students, the parents and the local government where the school is located. It is appeals very much to our
Bayanihan roots, a trait that is deeply Filipino. The scope of the project, from Memorandum Order No. 170:
SEC. 4. Scope of Work of the Brigada Eskwela Effort. Brigada Eskwela activities include painting of roofs, which add two or more years to the life of the roof; cementing existing footpaths and drains; repairing comfort rooms and toilets; repairing leaking water pipes; painting exterior walls of classrooms; repairing or replacing ceiling boards; repairing, refinishing or repainting chairs, desks, and furniture; cleaning up the gardens; repairing or replacing broken windows, jalousies, and doors; replacing school signs; and doing any other types or repairs as may be necessary.
I remember when my sister was in Third Year, I was elected as a classroom PTA officer in her class and we were required to be part of the
Brigada. We were asked to do our part in helping beautify their classroom. One parent suggested we repaint the room and get an additional electric fan, so when it was agreed upon, the parents willingly gave money to buy the paint and to purchase the electric fan. One father also volunteered to repair the wooden windows and some chairs while one mother volunteered to donate some curtains. We all know that we cannot always ask the government to pay for all these expenses and we were happy to do what we can for our children. or in my case, sister.
I just hope that DEPED will come up with another brilliant and working idea like this Brigada Eskwela and stop the overpricing of books tat has been hounding them for years.