Australian Saves Lives of Sarangani School Children

Online, October 2, 2011 (Newswire.com) - Sarangani Province - Australian Jonathon Bentley-Stevens , President of Bentley House International Corp, or BHIC as it is locally known, has been privately funding NGO reforestation and agro-reforestation projects in Mindanao since 1996. BHIC is currently in a partnership with Belgium based WeForest for a 10 million tree Permaculture project in Malungon Sarangani Province.

Mr. Stevens said, the project commenced in May , 2011 and the nurseries are on one side of the Busagan Falls River and the planting area and High-school /elementary school is on the other side. This means that planters and students who are participating in our program have to cross the river at all times of the day carrying seedlings.

In discussions with one of BHIC's project coordinators,School Teacher Romell C. Sardido Mr. Stevens learned that a 13 year old handi-capped boy Robert C. Dialuna Jr. died earlier last year crossing the river to go to school after the heavy rain, and another 10 year old schoolgirl Darlene B. Tako fell in just a few weeks ago, but saved when she was seen clinging to a large rock further down stream.

Mr. Stevens said, we are not going ignore this potentially
dangerous situation, we can't risk the lives of the planters.

The family members or school children who participate in our project to earn an income, must not be at risk. If just one child dies during the term of our project we would never forget it. We can not ask the planters, especially the children to cross a river by jumping stone to stone carrying seedlings. So on hearing the situation I immediately approved a grant for a 26 meter all-weather bridge crossing the Busagan Falls river. This bridge is capable of carrying fully loaded horses and fully loaded motorcycles.

The funds, engineering and construction supervision were donated by BHIC, and the location approved by the Barangay Captain Romel Retuya, the Barangay Kagawad and in consultation with Mayor Reynaldo F. Constantino, who has been a tremendous supporter of the BHIC-WeForest 6,000 hectare project.

The 6,000 hectare 10-million tree project commenced in May 2011 and thousands of trees have already been planted with 20,000 Mahogany trees being matured for planting and another 20,000 rubber tree seeds have been supplied to our nurseries in the project area.

Stevens said; its hard to estimate how many lives this bridge will save, but if even one child is saved its worth every peso.

The Bridge was dedicated with a prayer by Pastor Basoc for the fallen Son Robert C. Dialuna Jr. and opened by Mayor, Reynaldo F. Constantino and Mrs. Esternila Dialuna, the fallen Boys mother who cut the ribbon in a tearful ceremony with Sarangani Board member Eleanor Saguigiut. The ribbon cutting was also attended by Mr. Jonathon Bentley-Stevens, and members of the faculty, Barangay Kagawad and village leaders.