PEP

ABG delivers classrooms to quake-hit GenSan school

DT · Aug 8, 2026, 12:39 AM

THE exterior of ABG Modular’s newly completed prefabricated classrooms at Romana C. Acharon Central Elementary School in General Santos City. The disaster-resilient classrooms were formally turned over to the Department of Education on 3 August 2026 to help restore learning spaces damaged by the June earthquake. — PHOTOGRAPH courtesy of Mayor Lorelie G. Pacquiao

ABG Modular Development Corp., a wholly owned subsidiary of Asiabest Group International Inc. (PSE: ABG), has turned over five prefabricated classrooms to the Department of Education (DepEd) for Romana C. Acharon Central Elementary School in General Santos City, providing new learning spaces for students affected by the June earthquake.

The classrooms were delivered under DepEd's Basic Education Facilities Program following the magnitude 7.8 earthquake that struck near Sarangani in June. The quake damaged several classrooms at the school and disrupted classes for about 4,460 learners, forcing the implementation of blended learning and shifting schedules while buildings underwent structural assessment.

Manufactured at the Palanas Precast Plant in Leyte through ABG Modular's partnership with Concrete Stone Corp., the single-story building contains five classrooms furnished for up to 45 students each. The company said the modular facility enables the school to restore part of its classroom capacity without waiting for conventional construction and is designed to withstand a magnitude 8.0 earthquake and wind speeds of up to 340 kilometers per hour.

Harry B. Villanueva, principal III of Romana C. Acharon Central Elementary School, said the project was completed faster than expected, with the initial five-day construction period reduced to three days. He added that the new classrooms would help address disruptions caused by the earthquake while providing durable, long-term learning spaces for students.

ABG Modular said the entire implementation cycle — from fabrication to delivery and on-site construction in General Santos City — was completed within 14 days.

“Our work in GenSan demonstrates how modular construction can address urgent classroom needs without compromising durability and structural integrity,” said Engr. Alfredo Comendador Jr., president of ABG Modular. “We manufactured the major components off-site, and by successfully delivering the five classrooms within 14 days — from manufacturing to the actual finishing and furnishing of the classrooms — this is a testament that we can deliver decent learning spaces, especially to areas struck by a major calamity.”

The company said the Philippines faces a backlog of more than 166,000 classrooms, adding that prefabricated concrete modular systems could complement conventional school construction by enabling faster delivery while maintaining structural resilience and accessibility.