THE Department of Education (DepEd)-Western Visayas and DepEd-Bacolod already approved the additional school facilities in Bacolod City to be utilized as quarantine centers due to the ongoing coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic.

This was stressed by Councilor Renecito Novero, chairperson of the City Council committee on education, after DepEd approved the four additional schools to be utilized as quarantine centers in the city.

These schools are Sum-ag National High School with 40 rooms, Luisa Medel National High School with 35 rooms, Mansilingan Agro-Industrial High School with 33 rooms, and Luis Hervias National High School with 37 rooms.

The City Council earlier approved a resolution requesting DepEd-Western Visayas and DepEd-Bacolod for additional school facilities to be used as quarantine centers in the city.

It also requested an extension for the utilization of schools beyond June 30, 2020.

Novero said as part of the strategy to combat Covid-19, Bacolod residents who are returning from elsewhere need to be quarantined for the duration as sanctioned by the Department of Health (DOH).

"The number of returning Bacolod residents is also increasing and the 118 classrooms in the present seven public schools with existing Memorandum of Agreement between the DepEd-Bacolod may no longer be sufficient to accommodate all the returning residents," he said.

Under the existing Memorandum of Agreement between the DepEd and Bacolod City, the utilization of existing public schools Bata Elementary School, Andres Bonifacio Elementary School, M.G Medalla Integrated School, Lopez Jaena Elementary School, Education and Training Center School (ETCS-1 Extension), Bacolod City National High School, and Corazon Locsin Montelibano Elementary school, is only until June 30.

Novero said the city's quarantine facilities can accommodate more than 1,000 locally stranded individuals or overseas Filipino workers.