THE Cagayan de Oro City Government will rehabilitate the City Library, but the large part of the total area will be dedicated to build 52 classrooms for the City Central Elementary School in a bid to address the school’s classroom shortage.

Mayor Oscar Moreno said they will demolish the structure along Velez Street, and build a five-story structure which will house the library, an office of the Girl’s Scout of the Philippines (GSP), and the 52 classrooms.

The project, worth more than P200 million, will start the bidding process late this month.

Moreno said he was surprised of the social media feedback focused on the city library rehabilitation, as he said that during discussions, different groups weighed in on the fate of the dilapidated city library.

“We went through some discussion on the library, one group said dili na kinahanglan dakog (there’s no need for a bigger) space for the library, it’s already a wireless world, ang (the) space is no longer important. On the other hand, naa pud grupo nga nag ingon (there’s a group that said) that we should still have a space,” he said.

The group ultimately decided to rebuild the library, but the mayor said, he believes that the “new library” is the internet.

“Wala na karon ang libro, bisan law and medical students dili na gadala ug libro, naa na sa ilang cellphones or Ipad, dili na uso ang libro (Books are not anymore in now, even law and medical students don’t bring books anymore, they use cellphones or their Ipads),” Moreno said.

“The library is dilapidated, gi maintain lang na sya, pero lisod kaayo (we have maintained it but it’s difficult,” he added.

Moreno pointed out that the bigger problem he wants to address is the 150 to 200 classroom shortage of City Central Elementary School.

He said he wants to support City Central which is known for being the “cradle of talents” in the city.

City Engineer Rolando Pacuribot said the construction might take two years. (PJO)