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IAMRAFI:
Gabaldon: Becoming A Legacy
The Story of Joel Villaofran Cordova, PTA Federation President
By Marco Paulo Trajano Deligero | May 15, 2018
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Before becoming the Parents-Teachers Association Federation (PTAF) President in 2014, and PTA President for Madridejos Central Elementary School, Bantayan Island (MCES) in 2012, Joel Villaofran Cordova was a student at the same school he is serving today.
Now, continuing the legacy, his children are enjoying the facilities of the same school that was restored by the Education Unit of the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. (RAFI-EDU) through its Gabaldon Restoration Program.
‘Gabaldon’ Education Is a Family Tradition
For Joel Villaofran Cordova, Joel to his friends, and also known as DJ JV to his FM listeners (he is a disk jockey), the Gabaldon school of Madridejos Central Elementary School (MCES) was his second home in his elementary years.
Like any family tradition, this is where he sent his children to study.
“Now, my children are studying here at the Gabaldon of Madridejos Central Elementary School where I had so much fun and lifelong learnings.”
Childhood Memories
Joel can’t help but be nostalgic when he told us his story.
“There were times when we would run in the corridor, and we could hear the whole floor squeak as if it was going to break. The structure was old and the wooden flooring had a lot of gaps that if you stepped on one broken piece, the whole plank would go up on the other end.”
“That staircase in front — that’s where we would jump up and down with my classmates. And that flagpole over there — I climbed that many times.”
Even Gabaldon School Buildings Get Old
Joel also remembers that their old Gabaldon school building had been ravaged by numerous calamities: from earthquakes to typhoons, including super typhoon Yolanda.
“After Yolanda, the school building tilted due to the strong winds! I knew then that the structure needed to be rehabilitated for the children’s safety.” Joel said.
RAFI and the Gabaldon Restoration Program
Joel and the whole Madridejos Central Elementary School were very happy when RAFI reached out to them to restore the damaged and aging Gabaldon structure.
“When RAFI approached us, we were all very happy. Personally, I cannot explain just how happy I was when I saw the finished work — the restored Gabaldon school building. It was like walking back in time. The best part of it all was that the restored Gabaldon was so much stronger than the school I grew up in.” Joel said.
RAFI Fulfilling Its Promise
Joel said that when RAFI presented to them the restoration plan and how the Gabaldon will look like after the restoration, they could not believe their eyes.
“I was in awe! We thought that because RAFI was going to cover all the expenses for the ‘restoration’ project they would change the whole Gabaldon structure including the architectural design, but they kept the look and simply fortified it. For this, we are very thankful because our Gabaldon building has so much history already, it’s part of our culture, and our lives.”
The Role of the Parents-Teachers Association (PTA) in School Development
For Joel, maintaining the Gabaldon structure is one of the important roles of the PTA.
“The PTA ensures we maximize the resources that we have, and we believe that the most important and abundant asset that we have is people — our members.”
“We ensure that we have a role in the maintenance of the school. We have different initiatives for our school like clean-up drives, re-painting activities, etc.” Joel said.
Joel’s Challenges
Joel said that being a PTA president is a huge responsibility. He needs to balance everything and prioritize the needs and welfare of the children, and their parents.
“Contradictory to what some people think, being a PTA president is not a fancy job. We don’t get paid, and we have to take care of a whole new generation of learners.” He added.
The Gabaldon Producing the Best of the Best
Something that Joel is proud of is the fact that their Gabaldon school has produced outstanding alumni that are now contributing to the economy of the country, particularly in Madridejos.
“This Gabaldon has produced at least 13 ship captains who are now working around the world…”
“We have also produced doctors, licensed teachers, lawyers, and other professionals that are now conquering the world.” Joel said.
“I believe that this Gabaldon has helped in molding me into the man I am today.” Joel added.
RAFI and Its Holistic Approach
Joel and the rest of the Madridejos Central Elementary School are thankful for the Gabaldon Restoration Project of RAFI-EDU.
“We are so happy, we are forever grateful that RAFI has restored our Gabaldon structure. We are now assured that more generations will continue to benefit from this.”
“I hope I was able to be an inspiration to many, to be man of service, and to be living testimony of service to the community. Most importantly, I hope people will learn to take care of our culture and heritage, atleast through the preservation of historical structures such as the Gabaldon.”
“Daghang salamat kaayo sa (thank you very much to) RAFI, we are now more confident of the future of the children of Madridejos, Bantayan Island. Daghang salamat!” #IAMRAFI
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“We are so happy, we are forever grateful that RAFI has restored our Gabaldon structure. We are now assured that more generations will continue to benefit from this.”
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