Additional classrooms underway in Baguio

AN ADDITIONAL of 43 new classrooms, which will be built this year, will benefit thousands of public elementary and high school student in Baguio City.

The data gathered from the office of Representative Bernardo Vergara showed that the construction of the said classrooms is worth P51.35 million under the Public-Private Partnership School Infrastructure Project (PPP-SIP) Batch 2 of the Department of Education (DepEd).

Vergara said the additional new classrooms is part of his program of converting public schools into national high schools and elementary schools so that they could tap into national funds for the development of buildings, facilities and also for the retention of contractual teachers.
  
“Other schools not included in the list will be getting building funds from the Special Education Fund of the local government,” Vergara added.
  
In a letter from Oliver Fernandez, chief of the DepEd Physical Facilities and Schools’ Engineering Division, the educational facility to get the biggest share are Apolinario Mabini Elementary School (ES) which was allotted a two-storey six-classroom building.

The schools which will get two-storey two-classroom buildings are the Dontogan and Loakan Elementary Schools; Baguio City National High School (BCNHS) Happy Hollow Annex; BCNHS Hillside Annex; Joaquin Smith National High School (NHS); Mil-an NHS; Guisad Valley NHS; Pinsao NHS; Quezon Hill ES; Elpidio Quirino ES; Jose Rizal ES; San Vicente ES; and city’s Special Education (SPED) Center.
  
To get a one-classroom unit each are the Pines City NHS Main Campus; PCNHS Quezon Hill Annex; BCNHS Santo Tomas Annex; BCNHS Hillside Extension; Lindawan ES; Apolinario Mabini ES; and San Vicente ES.
  
Meanwhile, lawyer Augustin Laban II of Deped-Baguio City Division revealed that 19,162 high school students and 33,082 elementary school pupils have enrolled this school year.
  
Laban explained that the school annex system will help the number of students and pupils in addressing the overcrowding problem.

In 2011, agency records bared that 187 classrooms were constructed in preparation for the opening of classes, but that the number remained inadequate for the following year. (Ernie N. Olson)