Employees from the Local Government Unit (LGU) of the Municipality of Santa Rita, Pampanga joined the Department of Education (DepEd) Brigada Eskwela from June 1-5, 2026, to prepare school facilities for the opening of classes.
Considered as a pioneering initiative for the town, the involvement of LGU employees was part of the week-long “Adopt-a-School” Program where all departments and offices of the LGU joined the Ritenian community in painting, cleaning classrooms, and conducting minor repairs for 12 public schools.
“We want our education stakeholders to feel the full support of the LGU,” Mayor Reynan Calo said, emphasizing the importance of having conducive facilities for students and teachers.
Aside from the commitment of the LGU in terms of personnel labor force, Mayor Calo took the opportunity to distribute large garbage bins to selected elementary and high schools to augment their sanitation needs.
“Seeing our fellow civil servants [LGU employees] actively participating in the clean-up and physical work encouraged other stakeholders to do the same,” Santa Rita Public Schools District Supervisor (PSDS) Emily Maninang said.
According to PSDS Maninang, the LGU employees boosted volunteerism to add to the routinary Brigada Eskwela partners composed of uniformed personnel, parents, donors, and beneficiaries of government aid, such as those from TUPAD and 4Ps.
“It is also an act of service and an immersion for our LGU personnel,” Municipal Administrator Earl Tongol said. He also expressed his gratitude to volunteer employees assigned at specific schools.
“This is not only a symbolic activity. It is also a tangible proof that education is one of our top priorities under my administration,” Mayor Calo said.
It can be noted that Mayor Calo is set to distribute free school bags, notebooks and pad papers to all students from SNED, Kinder (Daycare), Grade I, up to Grade 12 in Santa Rita as part of his priority programs in the education sector.
