The University commends the role played by the College of Education (CEd) in turning the mountains of Calib-ungan into a place of learning—a once-makeshift dream of having a safe educational space for the Calib-ungan IP children—into the reality of a formally recognized school.

In February 2023, the Indigenous community in Calib-ungan, Botolan, Zambales, had a humble dream of sending their children to a safe place to learn, free from the risks of traveling down dangerous mountain paths. CEd responded to the call by providing financial support and sharing its expertise in education management to build a makeshift classroom for Indigenous Peoples (IP) children.

Now, the once-seemingly out-of-reach dream has taken shape and grown into a story of resilience and hope, as the Department of Education officially recognized the school, assigning it the School ID 137351.

On March 30, 2026, the school and the community proudly celebrated its first moving-up ceremony, highlighting the achievements of 85 IP students.

Today, the school has welcomed 15 kindergarten enrollees and continues to offer multigrade classes up to Grade 6—the community dreams of expanding its offerings to the secondary level in the future.

From a humble makeshift classroom to a recognized institution, the Calib-ungan Elementary School stands as a testament to resilience, collaboration, and the transformative power of education.

The community extends its heartfelt gratitude to RTU-CED for being an instrument in turning their dream into reality.