City schools need to replace 4 quake-damaged schools
LEARNERS taking full in-person classes in four schools in Dagupan City starting November 3 are facing new classroom shifts after their school buildings had been declared unsafe following the earthquake that hit Dagupan last July 27.
City Schools Superintendent Aguedo Fernandez revealed this expected new adjustments when he appeared before Sangguniang Panlungsod on Tuesday to appeal for the approval of the city’s Supplemental Annual Investment Program No. 1 that allotted P4.5 million to cover the costs of improvements of damaged school buildings and another P4 million for improvement of covered court gymnasiums of various elementary schools in the city.
Fernandez cited the three-storey, 24-classroom building (donated by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation) of the Dagupan City National High School that suffered structural defect as a result of the quake and was declared unsafe by both the Department of Public Works and Highways and building officials of Dagupan.
He said the accommodation of more than 3,000 students in junior and senior high school required the adoption of two shifts, (6:00 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. and 12 noon to 6:00 p.m. ).
According to Fernandez, DCNHS has not received any help from the DepEd although the latter allotted P5 million to be used in retrofitting the damaged PAGCOR building but he said DepEd has a quick reaction fund that can be used for emergency repair of school buildings damaged by calamities.
The other damaged school buildings in Dagupan are:
- Two three-storey buildings of the Federico Ceralde Integrated School in Bonuan Binloc suffered cracks, forcing school authorities to adopt two classroom shifts.
- One building of the Salapingao Elementary School that suffered wide cracks.
- The flooring of the Pugaro Elementary School sank or caved in after the earthquake.
- The covered court of the Jose de Venecia Technical and Vocational School in Bolosan was determined to be unsafe.
Fernandez reiterated the need to construct 1) A three-storey, nine-room school building for the Malued Elementary School because of its growing school population and because of the old existing building was also damaged; 2) Six classrooms for the Salisay Elementary School costing P20 million as the fund previously allotted to the school was used to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, and 3) One school building with six classrooms at the Lomboy Elementary School. (Leonardo Micua)
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