A FESTIVE atmosphere marked the inauguration of Iloilo's 44th teen center in Batad National High School (BNHS) on Tuesday, February 7.
The faculty and students presented dance and song numbers to the delight of guests, especially Governor Arthur Defensor Sr., Officer-in-charge Schools Division Superintendent Felisa Beriong, Provincial Population Office chief Ramon Yee, and Batad Mayor Pedro Alarcon.
Just like the other teen centers in the province, Hopes and Aspirations for the Next Generation (Hang) Teen Center in Batad will serve as a venue where students could spend their vacant time productively and leisurely.
Defensor allotted P300,000 for the establishment of the Hang Teen Center, but he promised to provide additional amenities and recreational materials to make it more functional.
He urged the students to make use of the teen center during their vacant time instead of spending it on “useless” activities.
He also called on the students to focus on their studies as it will be the key to improving their lives in the future.
BNHS principal Melinda de la Cruz thanked Defensor for making BNHS a recipient of his teen center program. She assured that they will take good care of the facilities inside the teen center.
BNHS is one of the two national high schools in Batad with a student population of around 1,000.
Yee earlier said that there are six more teen centers slated for inauguration in the coming weeks to complete the 50 teen centers already funded by Defensor as of last year.
It was learned that this 2017, the governor already approved the funding for another 12 teen centers, which will be established primarily in the barangay high schools.
The teen center project is a trailblazing program of Defensor through the Provincial Population Office, which has earned accolades from various sectors and has become a model program emulated by other local government units in the country. (PR)