Health, Environment, and Community Well-Being

Assessing Facility Needs for Rural School Infrastructure: A Case Study of Maruso Elementary School, Rizal, Palawan

John Carl S. Calites, Kelly Jay E. Salcedo, Kezziah Jayne M. Rubio, Argie P. Pacaldo, Joseph R. Acejo, Jaysoon D. Macmac

Abstract

Rural infrastructure development in the Philippines is frequently constrained by high costs and transport dependence, resulting in inadequate facilities at public schools. This study assesses the facility deficits of Maruso Elementary School in Rizal, Palawan, and establishes engineering priorities that civil engineering can address. The study also aims to identify the most urgent facility needs, assess the local availability of specific bamboo varieties, and measure the level of community acceptance and awareness regarding bamboo–based construction. A descriptive feasibility study was conducted using surveys distributed to 72 respondents within the school and local community, mainly focusing on quantifying infrastructure dissatisfaction. The study identified the Comfort Room as the highest priority facility (89.04%), followed by the Waiting Shed (10.96%). A majority of respondents (56%) reported inadequacy in existing comfort rooms and shelters, indicating a need for additional infrastructure. Resource assessment showed that bamboo is widely available, with 94.44% of participants noting its presence in the area. Taken together, these results indicate that context–appropriate, low–cost engineering interventions using locally sourced bamboo can feasibly address the school's most pressing facility needs while building local capacity and reducing reliance on distant suppliers. However, there is a growing concern around 48% regarding the maintenance of bamboo and 33% for its degradability. Suggesting that treated bamboo is essential to improve resistance to biological decay while maintaining structural integrity. Furthermore, strategically reconfiguring the bamboo–concrete interface through mechanical interlocking maximizes the structural efficiency and economic viability of these bio–composite materials. In addition, we suggest exploring the integration of sustainable building materials in these expansions: constructions of school classrooms and waiting sheds, as it is needed and suggested by the respondents, as well as evaluating the feasibility of using bamboo as reinforcement in low–load structures.