President Aquino Inaugurates PAGCOR-Funded School Project In Cebu City

President Benigno S. Aquino III on Thursday led the inauguration of a four-storey, 20-classroom school building here that was constructed under the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation’s (PAGCOR) school building project.

The new building at the Guadalupe Elementary School was built through PAGCOR’s Matuwid na Daan sa Silid-Aralan school building project, with the help of partners, such as the Department of Education and the Department of Public Works and Highways.

The President was accompanied by PAGCOR Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Cristino Naguiat, Jr., Education Secretary Armin Luistro, and Public Works and Highways Secretary Rogelio Singson.

“Nagtitipon po tayo ngayon para pasinayaan ang bagong school building ninyo rito sa Guadalupe Elementary School. Patunay lang po ito na sa Daang Matuwid, walang maiiwan. Binibigyan natin ng kakayahan at oportunidad sa kaunlaran ang ating mga kababayan,” he said in his speech during the inauguration.

President Aquino particularly thanked Naguiat for providing Php 12 billion for education.

“Ngayon po, nagpapasalamat tayo sa inyong lokal na pamahalaan, at sa mga ahensya ng gobyernong nagkapit-kamay para maisakatuparan ang inisyatibang ito. Kay Chairman Bong Naguiat at sa PAGCOR na nagbigay na raw ho ng Php 12 bilyon para sa edukasyon, Php 9 bilyon sa DPWH (Department of Public Works and Highways), Php 3 bilyon sa DepEd (Department of Education),” he said.

Guadalupe Elementary School officials said the new building would enable the school to hold classes the whole day, improve school attendance, and cut dropout rate.

Prior to the turnover of the new school building, students had to attend make-up classes and adopt shifting schedules to address the severe lack of classrooms.

With a population of 7,000, the Guadalupe Elementary School is the largest public primary school in Cebu City.

The PAGCOR reported that as of December last year, it has constructed 131 classrooms in 31 locations in Cebu. Some 121 classrooms are under construction and 80 are undergoing procurement procedures.

So far, the Matuwid na Daan sa Silid-Aralan project, which was launched in June 2011, has already built 2,221 classrooms in 448 sites across the country.

About 1,841 classrooms in 279 locations are under construction while 1,065 classrooms in 94 sites are undergoing procurement arrangements, PAGCOR said.

The goal of the project is to build thousands of spacious and modern classrooms for both public elementary and high schools in the country.

This adds up to the administration’s campaign to reduce the acute deficiency in classrooms and school buildings in public schools.(PNA) RMA/PND/EDS