STUDENTS and teachers of Buttong Integrated School welcome their new SM-donated classrooms with joy and pride. Photo courtesy of SM foundation
NEXTGEN

More than classrooms, SM Group helps build dreams for students in Laoag

DT

Students and teachers of Buttong Integrated School (BuIS) now have more space for learning, thanks to a new two-story, four-classroom building turned over by the SM Group on 30 July.

Built in partnership with the Department of Education’s Adopt-a-School Program, the new facility is designed to support BuIS’ growing student population, which now nears 900 learners with over 30 teachers.

Each classroom is fully furnished with 50 armchairs, including ones for left-handed students, as well as panoramic whiteboards, clocks, and wall fans. The building also features a PWD-accessible restroom, flush toilets, a ten-faucet handwashing station, storage rooms, and safety essentials such as emergency lighting, fire alarm bells, and PWD ramps.

“This new building will go a long way in ensuring a more conducive learning environment for our students,” said school representatives during the turnover.

BuIS began as a primary school in 1916 and became an integrated school in 2022 through the efforts of local leaders, parents, and the DepEd. It now serves students from Grade 1 to Junior High School, catering to various barangays in the area.

The project is part of SM Prime and SM Foundation’s broader commitment to improving public education facilities. To date, SM Foundation has built over 110 school buildings nationwide, working with SM Prime and other social good partners to promote inclusive, accessible learning spaces.