BACOLOLD City Councilor Renecito Novero urged the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to submit a copy of its inspection report and recommendation on the collapsed ceiling in one of the classrooms of the newly constructed senior high school building of Domingo National High School (DNHS) in Barangay Banago, Bacolod City.
Novero said the ceiling of one of the classrooms at the fourth floor in one of the senior high school buildings of DLNHS reportedly collapsed sometime on June 18.
He said an immediate inspection was reportedly conducted by the DPWH represented by Engr. Abraham Villareal and accompanied by Department of Education (DepEd) engineer Engr. John Olvido.
“Until today, no official report has been submitted by the DPWH,” he added.
Novero said the incident should never occur again, which thus necessitates a review inspection of all the newly constructed senior high school buildings in DLNHS.
Novero said that on June 24, a memorandum from the DepEd Central Office stated that based on the visual observation, the apparent reason for the collapsed ceiling is “the lack of metal hanger support,” which thus subjects to jeopardy the lives and limbs of the students and teachers in these classrooms.
In its report earlier submitted to District Engineer Villareal, the DPWH, led by project engineer Ferdinand Sagada, said the materials used in the ceiling were in accordance with the approved plans and specifications and per initial observation, but the ceiling collapsed as somebody went up there.
The DPWH was earlier directed by Representative Greg Gasataya to conduct an investigation on the collapse of DLNHS classroom’s ceiling on June 19.
The two-unit, three-storey, 15-classrooms project was undertaken by contract with Supreme ABF Const. & Const. Supply Co. Inc. in the amount of P51,163,111.92, which was funded under fiscal year 2016 of the Department of Education Basic Education Facilities Fund. It was completed in August 2017.