SCHOOLS in Wyre Forest are being urged to show their generosity by helping to raise funds to rebuild a typhoon-ravaged Filipino school.

The Constancio P Go Memorial Learning Center, on the island of Cebu, needs between £80,000 and £100,000 to rebuild the preschool and to replace equipment such as computers and books lost in the typhoon, which struck the Philippines two weeks ago, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake.

Ross Maden, a school inspector from Kidderminster, is appealing for Wyre Forest schools to adopt the building and hold fund-raising events to help collect the cash.

He says he feels compelled to help after meeting principal Cesar Go, while inspecting a Filipino school in Abu Dhabi, in the United Arab Emirates, just days before the disaster.

“Cesar went back to a tornado while I returned home to the UK,” explained Mr Madden.

“Cesar was 150 kilometres from where his school was and his school was right in the eye of the tornado and was one of the first to cop it.

“What I’m trying to do, knowing that the school is destroyed, is set up support for him to be able to rebuild the school in the long term and I’m trying to do that by getting schools to adopt Cesar’s school.”

The Filipino school, which has 165 pupils, was established in 2004 as a memorial to Mr Go’s father, who died in 1990. Its playground had to be converted into a safe waiting area for youngsters after the storm struck, while computers and library books were also lost.

The school also needs solar energy to source water from a small deep well and to provide lighting and ventilation inside classrooms, as well as lights and ceiling fans for 12 classrooms.

Following the storm, Mr Go told of his devastation in a heartfelt email to Mr Maden.

He said: “Schools have been wiped out – mine is no exception.

Many people are homeless and hungry. It pains me to see children and grown-ups begging for food.”

He added: “What I find difficult is to keep going in the midst of all the destruction and suffering. It would just be so easy to turn my back and not rebuild and go to the city but I owe it to the children and myself to rise to the challenge.”

Mr Maden said any donations received would go directly to Mr Go. Anyone who would like to make a donation or any schools that would like to fund-raise should email madenross@ gmail.com

  • Meanwhile, a folk concert in Stourport will raise money for victims of the Philippines typhoon.

Folk-rock duo Faith will perform at Cornerstone Family Church, Minster Road, on Sunday, December 8, at 7pm.

No tickets will be sold. All donations will go to the Disasters Emergency Committee’s appeal.