A 74-YEAR old school located in a 10,000 square-meter donated land in Nueva Ecija’s largest and premier city, Cabanatuan, now has an additional school building courtesy of SM Prime Holdings through SM Foundation. This is the 72nd schoolbuilding built so far by the SM Group of Companies with some partners through the SM Foundation.

The new two-storey four-classroom building augments the 10 buildings in the campus of Bakod Bayan Elementary School. The school has a population of 1,200 with 71 students to a classroom. With the new classrooms, decongestion of classrooms is expected even if student population is anticipated to increase this coming school year 2016-2017. The new classrooms will be used by Grades V and VI students. 

Bakod Bayan Elementary School started as the Bayan Bakod Barrio School teaching Grades I & II until 1967 when it became a full-fledged elementary school servicing schoolchildren from Grades I to VI. During the early years, students had to transfer to nearby Barangay San Isidro to pursue their last two years of elementary schooling. The need for a school in the barangay did not go unnoticed. A kind benefactor, Rufino Halili generously donated the lot where the school now stands. 

The school has a complement of 23 teachers in the elementary level with two teachers handling kindergarten classes. School Principal Trinidad G. Beltran said one of the challenges that greeted her upon assuming the post of school principal was the lack of appropriate classrooms, for while there were existing classrooms, these were dilapidated. “This is a most welcome donation from SM.”

At the turnover ceremony, SM Foundation was represented by Executive Director for Education, Carmen Linda Atayde , Carol Del Rosario (Assistant Manager of SM Cabanatuan) representing SM Prime, Dr. Rhoda Razon (Schools Superintendent), Josie Palioc (Asst. Schools Superintendent), and Cabanatuan Mayor Julius Vergara represented by his son, Mico.