70 K-12 school buildings completed in Leyte's 2nd district

TACLOBAN CITY, Aug. 31 (PNA) -- Seventy more new school buildings address the needs for more classrooms for the K to 12 of basic education program in Leyte's second district.

The Second Leyte Engineering District of the Department of Public Works and Highways reported that only eight of the target 78 school building projects for 2016 are still on-going construction. This posted a 96 percent accomplishment rate.

The implementation of the K to 12 program, which started in 2013, requires additional classroom facilities to supplement the program.

The construction of additional school buildings and classrooms thru the Basic Educational Facilities Fund (BEFF) of the Department of Education have eased classroom shortages and provided additional facilities according to District Engineer Carlos Veloso.

DepEd provided more than PHP411 million in funds for these school buildings to ensure adequate classrooms as the senior high school program starts.

Veloso added that all school buildings being constructed by the DPWH are typhoon-resilient based on a new standards jointly set by DepEd and the DPWH.

DepEd has set its own engineering design which is similar in all schools nationwide, learning from the devastation of school during supertyphoon Yolanda in 2013 and all the other typhoons that inundated the country.

With stronger typhoons expected with the radical change in climate, the education and public works departments made sure that schools can withstand ferocious winds and heavy downpours.

“We have made sure that our school buildings are even better and stronger,” Veloso said.

Meanwhile, the completion of the eight remaining ongoing school buildings is targeted this September.

The completion of two additional years is expected to equip students with skills that will prepare them better, whether they decide to pursue higher education, employment, middle level skills development, or entrepreneurship in the future.

Senior High School under the K to 12 curriculum officially opened this school year 2016 to 2017 with the enrolment of students in Grade 11, followed by Grade 12 in next academic year. (PNA)

JMC/SQM/AHLETTE C. REYES/EGR