ACCUSATIONS of overpriced classroom projects did not stop the Cagayan de Oro City Government from turning over another six classrooms to Man-ai National High School in the hinterland barangay of Tignapoloan Tuesday, February 19.
Sitio Man-ai now has a total of 12 classrooms for its growing student population, all sponsored by the local government of Cagayan de Oro.
Barangay captain Nancy Aban was emotional during the turnover, saying this will give more students the opportunity to study.
The local government started giving Man-ai classrooms in 2014, but before that year, students used to walk 10 kilometers to get to Tignapoloan National High School.
Aban said this has caused the teenage pregnancy rate in the area to balloon.
"Now, wala na gyud kitay rason dili moskwela kay nia na sa atong tugkaran ang skwelahan," Aban said.
Currently, about 20 percent of the total student population of the high school is composed of adults.
Engineer Rolando Pacuribot of the City Engineer's Office, meanwhile, downplayed the criticisms against the classroom construction.
Pacuribot said the Commission on Audit report is enough to prove that the classrooms are even cheaper than the usual projects of the government.
Pacuribot explained that the city's school projects are cheaper because administrative costs of the project are not included.
"Mas ubos amo kaysa national DPWH projects kay naa silay admin cost, so naay add on particularly kanang naay mag anhi diri nga engineer bayaran man na usually, but kami gaidelete namo kay dili gyud musugot si mayor so ubos gyud kami," he said.
Moreno is being sued over the alleged overpricing of classrooms. Since 2013, Moreno has caused the construction of a total of 596 classrooms in various public schools here.
Moreno, for his part, said the overpriced classrooms allegations are totally fabricated, totally malicious, and untrue.
"Sagdi lang sila (Let them be)," he said.