06/08/2025
𝐌𝐎𝐀 𝐒𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐛𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐟 𝐚 𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐑𝐞𝐧𝐨𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐀𝐧𝐚𝐣𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐧 𝐄𝐥𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐒𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐥
On a small island of Anajawan in Surigao del Norte, where the memory of Typhoon Odette still lingers, the Philippine Army Finance Center Producers Integrated Cooperative (PAFCPIC) held its MOA Signing and Groundbreaking Ceremony in Anajawan Elementary School last July 9, 2025, reaffirming its long-standing partnership with the Department of Education (DepEd) in Siargao.
What welcomed the PAFCPIC team was something more powerful than elaborate shows and banners. The children of Anajawan offered a heartfelt series of traditional dances. Clad in their vibrant cultural attire with feet bare on the sand, their smiles reached the team and other distinguished guests far before the boats reached the shore. Their movements told stories older than the typhoon, stories of who they are, where they come from, and what it meant to stand on a land that has experienced so much but is relentlessly standing. At that moment, it was clear that while the storm may have taken much, it did not take their identity.
The school stood in quiet contrast, walls that still bore signs of weathered seasons, roofs that had already been repaired more than once, and buildings that were severely damaged. Typhoon Odette, which made landfall in 2021, had torn through the region with unforgiving force. Anajawan was one of the hits. The elementary school, a learning space, was not spared.
In the years since, PAFCPIC sought to support schools in the area. The current project marks the third major construction and rehabilitation project in Siargao Island. These efforts are part of a sustained, deliberate partnership built on continuous communication with DepEd.
During the ceremony, PAFCPIC Chairperson BGen Francisco M Paredes (Ret), spoke of how the service the Cooperative implements in areas like Anajawan will not cease. The Cooperative acknowledges the challenges of teaching and learning in an unsafe and suboptimal environment which is why it is committed to creating spaces that inspire and encourage.
PAFCPIC’s work in Anajawan is a model of the kind of remembering we do in areas that have been devastated. It is development that refuses to be performative. It is presence that outlasts news coverage. It is service proven not by words, but by consistent action.
As the ground was broken, surrounded by students, teachers, and local officials, there was a sense of calm purpose in the air. No headlines were needed to validate what was happening. The people here knew exactly what this meant.
It meant the work continues.
It meant they were not alone.
And for the people of Anajawan, that is something worth holding on to.
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The ceremonies were graced by the presence of representatives from PAFCPIC headed by 𝘉𝘎𝘦𝘯 𝘍𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘰 𝘔 𝘗𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘥𝘦𝘴 (𝘙𝘦𝘵) – 𝘊𝘩𝘢𝘪𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘉𝘎𝘦𝘯 𝘍𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘰 𝘚 𝘡𝘢𝘣𝘢𝘵 (𝘙𝘦𝘵) – 𝘗𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘢𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘔𝘳. 𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘢𝘯𝘰 𝘓 𝘔𝘢𝘯𝘢𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘑𝘳 – 𝘝𝘗 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘈𝘥𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘔𝘴. 𝘈𝘳𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘦 𝘖 𝘝𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘢𝘧𝘭𝘰𝘳 – 𝘝𝘗 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘔𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱 𝘌𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘊𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘚𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘪𝘤𝘦𝘴, 𝘔𝘴 𝘔𝘪𝘳𝘢𝘧𝘭𝘰𝘳 𝘈 𝘊𝘢𝘣𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘯 – 𝘝𝘗 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘏𝘶𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘙𝘦𝘴𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘤𝘦𝘴, 𝘔𝘳 𝘕𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘍 𝘛𝘰𝘳𝘳𝘦𝘴 – 𝘊𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘋𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘱𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘔𝘢𝘯𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘳, 𝘔𝘴 𝘔𝘪𝘨𝘶𝘪 𝘊𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘌 𝘊𝘰𝘵𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘳 – 𝘊𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘋𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘱𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘚𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘵, 𝘔𝘳. 𝘈𝘭𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘍𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘻𝘦 𝘏 𝘔𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘢 – 𝘊𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘋𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘱𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘚𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘵, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘔𝘴 𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘫𝘰𝘭𝘦𝘪𝘯 𝘙 𝘋𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘰𝘺 – 𝘗𝘈𝘍𝘊𝘗𝘐𝘊 𝘚𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘖𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘦 – 𝘉𝘶𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘯 𝘔𝘢𝘯𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘳, representatives from the Department of Education (DepEd) including 𝘋𝘳. 𝘙𝘰𝘦𝘭 𝘛. 𝘋𝘪𝘢𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘦 – 𝘈𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘚𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘭𝘴 𝘋𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘚𝘶𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘵, 𝘋𝘳. 𝘏𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘮 𝘓. 𝘛𝘢𝘳𝘶𝘤 – 𝘚𝘎𝘖𝘋 𝘊𝘩𝘪𝘦𝘧, 𝘔𝘳. 𝘙𝘪𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘛. 𝘛𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘰 – 𝘚𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘭 𝘗𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘪𝘱𝘢𝘭 𝘐, 𝘔𝘳. 𝘙𝘦𝘨𝘨𝘺 𝘊 𝘈𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘳𝘦 – 𝘚𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘳 𝘌𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘮 𝘚𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘵, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘔𝘴. 𝘊𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘉. 𝘓𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘰 – 𝘌𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘮 𝘚𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘵 𝘐𝘐, the Municipality of General Luna represented by 𝘏𝘰𝘯. 𝘔𝘢𝘺 𝘈𝘯𝘢 𝘛𝘰𝘬𝘰𝘯𝘨 – 𝘚𝘉 𝘔𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘏𝘰𝘯. 𝘌𝘭𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘈𝘵𝘪𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘢𝘥𝘰 – 𝘚𝘉 𝘔𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳, the Barangay Captain of Anajawan - 𝘏𝘰𝘯. 𝘙𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘵 𝘚. 𝘓𝘪𝘮, and 𝘌𝘯𝘨𝘳. 𝘙𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘺 𝘊𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘦𝘳 from RBEP Construction – the contractor for the construction and renovation projects for the said school.
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