BLESSING OF THE NEW CLARET HIGH SCHOOL
OF ZAMBOANGA CITY

By Fr. Manuel Suñaz, CMF

After eight (8) months of construction, the new school building of Claret School of Zamboanga which was financed by a grant from Agencia Española de Cooperacion Internacional is finally finished. We now have a beautiful three-storey school building that hopefully will enhance the academic atmosphere among the staff, teachers and students who have been looking forward to achieve a better academic performance which the new facility is expected to bring about.

Initially, the blessing and inauguration of the building set for the 12th of December 2003 before the Christmas vacation of the students, was postponed to the 6th of January 2004. Finally, it was held on January 16, 2004. All the administration, teachers, staff, and selected students of the school attended. No less than Carmelo Morelos, DD, the Archbishop of Zamboanga, officiated the blessing with all the members of the community of the Claretian Missionaries attending. Important visitors were invited, like the head of other schools in the city, personnel from the Division Office of Schools, from the Department of Education and Culture, friends and associates of the school, etc. The cutting of the ribbon was done by Fr. Santiago Gonzalez, the Claretian General Procurator for the Missions in Rome together with Mr. Antonio Diaz Sanz the representative "Federacion para la Enseñanza de los Religiosos en España" (FERE), who came all the way from Madrid, Spain.After the blessings, a short program followed in the gym participated by the students. Speeches were also rendered by Fr. Santiago Gonzales, CMF, Mr. Antonio Diaz Sanz and Fr. Renato Manubag, CMF, the provincial superior of the Claretians in the Philippines. He also awarded the plaque of appreciation to the Donor Agency Agencia Española Cooperacion Internacional, to Mr. Antonio Diaz Sanz, Fr. Santiago Gonzales, and to the Contractor of the building, Mr. Roberto Villaflores, Jr.