Bernabe Elementary School is the smallest public elementary school in Pasay City which is composed of 20 hardworking teachers and 9 equally hardworking non-teaching staff. After its complete construction which started on June 2, 2018, we finally able to transfer to our humble abode last August 6, 2021. Due to the limited resources and the pandemic, the school started bare and from scratch. Despite of this situation, BES is still very lucky to have helpful and cooperative stakeholders. They worked hand in hand to improve the school’s facility and appearance as well as in bringing the school and community together. Through the collaboration of the school administration through the leadership of Mr. Leonardo G. Balaguer, School Principal, Mr. Bryan B. Barbon, Proponent and Faculty Club President and Mr. Eric A. Magsombol, PTA President, series of meetings were held and the “PROJECT BES sa BES: Beautification Efforts of Stakeholders in Bernabe Elementary School” was launched so that after the pandemic and face to face classes resumes the learners would feel the warm welcome, the energy and a higher level of school pride.  It will indeed create and preserve both healthy and beautiful environment where learning and camaraderie can be preserved and enhanced.

            Anchored with the essence of the modern “Bayanihan” in the Department of Education such, as the Brigada Eskwela and Adopt-a-School Program, the stakeholders are the identified participants in Project BES sa BES. The beautification efforts focus on soliciting plants, pots, soil, and garden materials for the maintenance of the plants. Little by little, people came to donate. The Barangay Captains in the catchment areas led the donation drive. Parents with their young ones brought cuttings of flowering plants to show their support to the said project. In addition, different batches from the alumni also showed their support in this worthy endeavor. They were the ones who contributed a lot to the slowly but surely success of this program. They donated pots of palmeras and flowering plants just in time for the opening of classes and in line with the  DepEd’s “Back to School: Let a Million Flowers Bloom Project”.

            To date, Bernabe Elementary School is still accepting donations and voluntary work to ensure that the beautification project would have a continuous and high success rate. The modern “Bayanihan” still lives within us despite the COVID-19 Pandemic and the absence of face-to-face classes. One thing is for sure; learners would come to school knowing that they are worth something because someone took time to take care of a place they call home for more than 6 hours per day. Also, they will learn to be more respectful of the environment and to clean up after themselves. As the community sees how well the school is treated, a sense of pride will also begin to rise.  

            “Coming together is a beginning, staying together is progress, and working together is success.” -Henry Ford