THE Cebu City Government has identified a lot where the Sapangdaku Elementary School can be relocated in a bid to give students a more comfortable and safer environment.
During its regular session last week, the Cebu City Council carried a resolution sponsored by Councilor Nendell Hanz Abella, authorizing Mayor Michael Rama to negotiate with Virgilio and Michael Chua, owners of a 3,621-square-meter property.
The property is in a safer area in Barangay Sapangdaku.
"The temporary site is small and inadequate and there's a need to acquire a parcel lot in Sapangdaku for the Sapangdaku Elementary School," Abella said in his resolution.
The Local School Board also passed its own resolution for the purchase of the lot.
The Chuas, in a letter to Rama, proposed to sell the lot at P5,000 per square meters.
Appraise
But Abella, in a separate resolution, requested the City Appraisal Committee to evaluate the market value of the lot and to propose a price that will be beneficial to both the lot owners and the City.
Rama ordered to vacate the old building of the Sapangdaku Elementary School because of its risky location near a river.
Since then, teachers have been holding classes in the Sapangdaku Barangay Hall, where part of the building was converted into a classroom.
Rama's directive to abandon the school was backed by a recommendation of the Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council.
During heavy downpour, the Guadalupe River, which is beside the old school building, overflows and would often result in flooding.
When the classes began early this month, teachers held classes by shift to accommodate all students.
"To address this problem, there is a need for the Cebu City Government to purchase a parcel of land for the elementary school," Abella said.