Capitol, DepED, LGUs Sign Pact with RAFI on Construction of P106M School Buildings

The Cebu Provincial Government and officials and representatives of the Department of Education (DepED) and 10 Local Government Units (LGUs) last February 6 entered into separate agreements with the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. (RAFI) on the construction of multi-story school buildings in 10 areas identified as experiencing acute shortage of classrooms.

Aside from the mayors and/or their representatives, the agreement signing, which was part of RAFI’s High School Building Program, was held at the Capitol Social Hall and was graced no less by Governor Hilario Davide III, Vice Governor Agnes Magpale, DepED Regional Director Juliet Jeruta, and DepED-Cebu Province Schools Division Superintendent Arden Monisit.

School heads of Calape National High School (NHS), San Remigio NHS, Marikaban Integrated School (IS), Bagalnga IS, Carmen NHS, Catmon IS, Mohon NHS, Sangat NHS, Mantalongon NHS, among others, were also present during the signing.

Anthony Dignadice, RAFI Education Development Unit executive director, said the agreement signing was a result of RAFI’s effort to collaborate with concerned sectors in its endeavour to help address the problem of lack of classrooms in Cebu.

“One of our strategies in RAFI is collaboration. In the Education Development Unit of RAFI, we have been partners with LGUs and other stakeholders. Since last year, we established a partnership with the (Cebu) Provincial Capitol in terms of delivering our education programs,” he said.

“This year, once again, we are specifically engaging the Province as our key partner to support our education priorities in the construction of 10 multi-storey school buildings in various areas where there are critical classroom gaps,” he added.

Last January 26, the Cebu Provincial Board authorized Davide to represent the Capitol in signing the agreements, as construction of each school building entails that the Province shells out counterpart funding.

For example, a three-story, nine-classroom school building at San Remigio NHS (San Remigio town) requires that the Capitol sets aside P4.31 million as counterpart amount to RAFI’s P8 million. This type of school building will also be constructed at Catmon IS (Catmon town) and at Carmen NHS (Carmen town).

A two-storey, six-classroom building costing P8 million (Capitol, P3.07 million; RAFI, P5.7 million) will also be built at Sangat NHS (San Fernando town), Bagalnga IS (Compostela town), Calape NHS (Daanbantayan town), Mantalongon NHS (Barili town), Mohon NHS (Sogod town), and Marikaban IS (Santa Fe town, Bantayan Island).

Madridejos NHS (Madridejos town), on the other hand, will have a four-storey, 12-classroom building worth P16 million (Capitol, P7.5 million; RAFI, P8.5 million).

For all agreements, the LGUS are required to “provide institutional, technical and operational support in the implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the project” and facilitate compliance with the required permits.

DepED, on the other hand, is expected to “provide institutional support and ensure smooth implementation of the project,” “be responsible for the custody and maintenance of the completed school building,” and provide the needed teachers and school fixtures, among other obligations stipulated in the agreement.

“We look forward to continue this partnership with the Province for the construction of more school buildings for high schools, including Tech-Voc facilities to help prepare for the implementation of the senior high school program beginning school year 2016-2017 under the new K to 12 curriculum of DepED,” Dignadice said following the signing of the agreements.