City Gov’t Negotiates with State Universities for Use of Classrooms by Senior High

Iloilo City (PNA) — Discussions are ongoing between the city government here and three state universities located in this city for the use of their classrooms once the construction of facilities intended for the senior high school is not finished by school opening next year.

Iloilo City Mayor Jed Patrick E. Mabilog said that they are talking to the University of the Philippines in the Visayas (UPV), West Visayas State University (WVSU) and the Iloilo School of Arts and Trades University (ISAT-U) regarding classroom use.

Unused classrooms of the Iloilo City Community College (ICCC) will also be utilized, he added.

The classrooms will be used temporarily for a year or until the construction of classrooms for the senior high school is completed, Mabilog added.

The Division of Iloilo City is anticipating some 11, 950 incoming senior high school next school year.

Last month, the Sangguniang Panlungsod authorized the mayor to negotiate on behalf of the city government on a possible loan agreement to finance the construction of eight units four-storey building with 160 classrooms using its general fund as collateral.

The remaining classrooms will come from donations.

Mabilog said that negotiations are already ongoing. However, if the Department of Education (DepEd) could find a budget for the construction, then the budget is no longer necessary.

He cited that other local government units (LGUs) in the country are doing the same in anticipation of classroom needs in 2016.

“This is part of our preparations,” he underscored. (PNA) FPV/PGLENA/CBF