THE first athletes’ dormitory in Bacolod City at the Romanito P. Maravilla Sr. National High School (RMSNHS) in Barangay Estefania was inaugurated on Monday afternoon, March 24, 2025, and is now ready for use.
Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez, along with members of the City Council and officials from the Department of Education, led the inauguration and turnover ceremonies of the P12.5 million project.
The dormitory features two separate bedrooms accommodating 32 athletes — 16 boys and 16 girls — each with individual beds and cabinets. The amenities also include a dining and cooking area, dedicated comfort rooms, an office and a stockroom.
The mayor initiated the project after seeing the poor living conditions of athletes who were staying in makeshift shelters inside the school campus.
Benitez noted that some RMSNHS athletes have represented Bacolod City in the Palarong Pambansa, winning gold, silver and bronze medals.
“We need to help our athletes improve their living conditions while they undergo training so that we can continue winning more medals,” he said.
He added that the new building will be managed by the school, which has also been tasked with implementing house rules for the students’ safety.
For now, the dormitory will only accommodate athletes from RMSNHS, but the mayor said they plan to open it to other public school students excelling in their respective sports fields.
“Our athletes bring honor to our city, so we should provide them with decent living quarters that they can look forward to,” Benitez said.
He also announced that the City will allocate an additional P1 million for the dormitory’s furniture.
Gladys Gerona, principal of RMSNHS, expressed her gratitude to Benitez and the City Council for implementing the project inside the school campus.
She pointed out that their students have won medals in athletics and track and field.
Gerona also noted that most of their athletes, from Grade 7 to Grade 12, stay in school from Monday to Saturday for training.
She disclosed that they will assign personnel to maintain the cleanliness of the dormitory. / MAP