Some P40, 000 worth of cash were given to the financial support to a school and scholarship program of the annual tournament organized by the Saint Louis University Boys High Club 7882.

Pimingan Elementary School teacher Remy Dum-ao received in behalf of the school a cash donation of P10, 000 as financial support to one of the poorest and farthest schools in Benguet located in Ansagan, Tuba.

Dum-ao said that since her stay in Pimingan ES two years ago, she and her co teachers have been providing from their own pockets school materials for their classes like chalk, manila paper, cartolina, notebooks, books and writing materials just to make the students come to school to learn.

Dum-ao, who has been teaching in Pimingan and another remote school, Ligay, for more than five years now, had to walk for four hours via Pozzorubio in Pangasinan where it can be accessed through motorcycles since no road leads to Ansagan until October last year only when Philex Mines opened an access road. Several elementary pupils have to walk for two hours just to attend class, she added.

Dum-ao said that the donation is big help to the school and it will be used to buy school supplies and possibly for feeding program for their pupils.

On the other hand, two high school students from the Baguio City National High School namely Arvin Bongon and Calrise Liwliwa and Rodolfo Nievera Jr. of the Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Montessori were handed P5, 000 worth of scholarship while four students from the SLU–Laboratory High School (SLU-LHS) namely Jeremiah Dacanay, Gabriel Capitly, Daniel Tabangcura, and Lemuel Oriz were also given P4, 000 each to support their schooling.

Saint Louis Boys High Club 7882 president Engineer Felizardo Gacad said that the tournament was created to provide an avenue for the school children to enhance their skills in basketball and develop sportsmanship and camaraderie among them.

He added that since its inception in 2010, several students have been beneficiaries of the scholarship program being provided through the sports event.

Among the sponsors of the tournament are the Philex Mining Corporation, Lepanto Consolidated Mining Corporation, the Baguio City National High School and the Philippine Mine Safety and Environment Association.(JDP/ RMC-PIA CAR)